


To Hell and Back part 1

by Shadow12177



Series: To Hell and Back [1]
Category: Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Bloodlust, Clairvoyance, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hitcher reference, Horror, Lost Boys, My First Fanfic, Oral Sex, Psychosis, Rage, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Trust Issues, Vaginal Sex, Vampire Sex, Vampire Turning, crazyOC, not enough for it to be a crossover, seriously there is something wrong with this girls head
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 11:59:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 122,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14544264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow12177/pseuds/Shadow12177
Summary: The year is 2015 and Santa Carla is still the murder capital of the world thanks to a new wave of dangerous gangs running the town. Elizabeth Ryder (oc) is an adaptable street kid with an abusive mother, a troubled past and a unique ability to see what others cannot. Things get more interesting when she accidentally resurrects The Lost Boy's.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic and seriously needs an edit LOL. It took me two years to write it but i am so proud to have it complete. There is a sequel in the works and i will come back to this for a re-write eventually. Please leave a comment for i just adore reviews! I hope you like it!

Chapter 1. Welcome to Santa Carla.

I stare out of my bedroom window and sigh… The amplifier cut out in mid riff just as I finally had the damn tune right! Perplexed I placed my "axe" gently on the ground and check the speaker. All the switches and dials are exactly where they need to be but… the power button had no light. I snort as I check the connections only to find power socket is indeed still plugged into the wall. I look up and scan my bedroom. Amongst the scattered items of clothing, sketches and musical scores I spy my alarm clock and noted it was dead. With a sigh I skip over my ESP AX50 LTD electric guitar and try the light switch.

"Yep, she's dead."

I catch my reflection in the mirror attached to the barely-in-one-piece second hand vanity with a 'you've got to be kidding me' expression staring right back. I shut my eyes for a moment to keep my anger in check. It could just be a loose circuit or something.

"Yeah, and pigs fly too…" I utter under my breath.

I stomp back to my guitar and put it back into its canvas case. Grabbing my mini amp, batteries, sketch book and pencils, I roughly shove them into my old skull and cross bones travel bag - snatching my denim jacket as I hopped out the door. As I went down the stairs I couldn't help but notice the wallpaper peeling away so badly that it exposed the wooden planks supporting the plaster in the wall. Every step creaked and groaned, making ninja steps difficult, but not impossible. I had almost made it to the front door when I heard the all too familiar question:

"Where do you think you're going?"

I cringe at the sound of her voice and turn around, dropping my arm simultaneously away from the doorknob to face my mother. She stared with her usual smug expression, cigarette in one hand, bottle of vodka not far from the other. She sat at the small dining table with bills scattered in front of her, wrapped in a bath towel and nothing else.

"The power's out… forget to pay the bills again, 'mother'?"

"Hmph, you didn't answer my question, girl."

"Out. I know you've got a 'customer' coming soon and I need to concentrate on my riff. I got a show in a couple of nights. Remember?"

Exasperated, I move my hand to emphasise 'remember' but drop it quickly, smacking my thigh loudly as I wait for her response. She stared for a moment and laughed her wicked witch laugh.

"Pathetic. You're twenty years old Lizzy. When are you gonna grow up and get a real job?"

"I don't count hooking as a 'real' job mother! I have a real job! It's called being a musician… AND DON'T CALL ME LIZZY!"

I was so mad I was ready to hit her. She looked mighty pleased with herself and THAT smirk played on her lips.

"Face it kiddo, you 'aint goin' nowhere."

"Go fuck yourself!"

I spin around so fast that I nearly knock over the vase of dead daisies and throw the front door open, nearly walking into Jack - mother's pimp boyfriend.

"Woah, what's the rush, sugar?"

He wore way too many necklaces around his neck; it didn't really go with his wife-beater singlet and skinny jeans. I push past him with a grunt but he catches my arm and pulls me close enough to smell his bad breath, forcing me to look him in the eye.

"Be nice, come talk to me when you're ready to make some real money." I rip my arm free from his grip, and mutter "Fuck off." under my breath as I walk away.

We'd only just moved here a week ago but things were just as bad here in Santa Carla as they were back home in Australia. The only reason why I was with my mother was because I was broke and had no place else to go. I look around as I head towards the boardwalk looking for places to squat or hide out for a while, anything would be better than home. Alas, everywhere I look there seems to be some kind of a gang loitering around. The more notable of the variety of the punks and misfits was the local chapter of the Arian brotherhood, dubbed 'Surf Nazi's' around here, and the Goths.

The Goths disturbed me the most so I give them a wide berth as I jump into a nearby phone booth. I take my guitar off my shoulder and place it by my feet as I pat my pockets down for some loose change. With relief, I push the coins into the slot and punch in the numbers to call my mate, Jimmy. I shield my eyes from the sun as I wait for the phone to ring and I notice the Goths were staring my way.

Normally I'd dig the fishnet look but these guys really overdid it. Black makeup, black torn clothes, pale faces, giant platform boots… the works. The leader of the group really stood out. She held an air of authority around her and her eyes demanded fear and respect. The most noticeable thing about her was the amethyst she wore around her neck. It was such a vibrant purple, I swear it glowed. I'm distracted by Jimmy's sudden loud and boisterous "Hello" and I hastily confirm the time and date for our upcoming show.

"You still down for the crazy eighties theme?" Jimmy beams down the receiver.

"Yeah of course… So uh, are we some kind of a tribute band or something? Or is it just for this show?" I reply, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No no, 'Back Track' are a cover band all the time. This show is just a promotional thing."

"Ok cool… I guess I'll see you guys Wednesday night."

I hang up and walk right into the gang of Goths, bouncing off of one, being caught by another. "Hey watch it!" I yell instinctively as I try to shake myself free from the boy's grip but to no avail. He dug his black nails into my arms, making me wince. There were five in total, three males and two females. The guys were walking bean stalks while the girls really did look like Harley Quinn rejects. One of the guys with heavy eyeliner and spiked hair move right into my face, clasping my chin with his thumb and index finger alone.

"Watch me end your life!" His group chuckle menacingly in response.

*Shit… it's just not my day… and what's with everyone getting in my face!?* He sneers when he sees my eyes widen with alarm. He tilts my face so I can see the leader of their group; the stand out Goth with the glowing amethyst. "You stared at the Mistress, now she wants your eyes!"

He hissed as he spoke in an attempt to sound more threatening but it wore thin fast. At that moment I swear I could see someone standing behind the Mistress with a platinum blonde mullet to die for, wearing a long, heavy, black coat. His eyes were sunken and his face was gaunt. He wore an expression of deep sorrow, as though he survived a fatal car wreck but lost his whole family in his stead… but just as I saw him, he was gone. My attention was returned to the Goth holding my face. I couldn't help but notice the spiked collar around his neck and a grin began to creep across my lips.

"Pffft… you guys into BDSM or something?"

They all looked a little stunned by my question. I guess they were used to people freaking right the hell out by now instead of laughing, so I continued to bait them. *If I could get them riled up enough, it might just provide me with the opportunity to get away…*

"Heh heh… I couldn't help but notice your collars there… I thought they were for show or something but I guess your Mistress keeps you lot on a short leash and beats your arses like the BUNCH OF MONGRELS YOU ARE!"

A white light flashes across my eyes before pain really registers, as the Goth's fist made contact with my nose. My smart-mouth often earns this type of treatment so I am able regain my senses quickly and kick him between his legs. As he doubles over in pain I throw all my weight down and jump back, head-butting the Goth who restrained me square in the jaw. His grip loosens long enough for me to rip my arms free and punch the Harley Quinn reject in the eye. Without skipping a beat, I elbow Goth guy number three in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of his chest. Creating the opening I needed, I run, leaving my beloved Axe behind.

I take off down the street, completely ignoring the pain in my face and concentrate on breathing through my mouth. I head towards the fairgrounds. The sun is only just beginning to set but the place is already packed with locals and vacationers from all over the country. I can hear the Goth Mistress yell "After her!" so I don't bother looking over my shoulder as I jump into the crowd.

To my left was something like the merry-go-rounds we have back home but much bigger. It was too bright so it was a no go zone for hiding. I look to my right and see several stalls and booths like in a market place. I duck and weave through the crowd until a spot a booth displaying a variety of sunglasses. These tables had low hanging table cloths so within a heartbeat I jump under one and tuck my legs in. I watch the multitude of feet going in every direction until I see the tell-tale platform boots with fishnet stockings stopping a few feet away from me. I can see my guitar and it takes every ounce of discipline not to reach out and grab it. Instead, I listen.

"We've lost her. I'm sorry Mistress. We'll keep an eye out… She'll turn up eventually."

"Forget it! We're out of time. Gather everyone at the Sunken Hotel. We'll deal with her another day."

I can't hear much else as they shove aggressively through the crowd. I feel something hit me from behind and I turn to see the proprietor of this booth with kind eyes and a bushy, brown beard staring down at me. "They're gone." He informs me. I climb out from under the table and thank him for not giving me away. I ask him for the location of this "Sunken Hotel" and he was kind enough to give me directions to Hudson's Bluff. We part with a warning - that this was Goth central and I should let it go. I thank him again and make my way through the crowd, leaving the fairgrounds behind and head for this mystery building. There was no way I was going to let those Goth bastards keep my guitar. My Axe was my bread and butter… and my life. I hug my jacket around myself while I make my way to the old, dirt road. The sun had well and truly set now and the temperature was dropping fast. I realise then that my nose had been bleeding. I wipe the dried blood away and tentatively check to see if my nose was broken. It was not. As I continue the long walk along the coast, I can hear the crashing of the waves against the shore. My mind drifts back to the shadowy figure I saw earlier… and pondered what the hell the Mistress wanted with my eyes.


	2. Meeting the locals

At least an hour had passed by the time I reached what I guessed to be the sunken hotel. It had to be... It was the only structure out here but, it just looked like some kinda cave with a metal walkway leading to it. I could hear some kind of death metal screaming out of the entrance guarded by a solitary Goth sentry, with a very noticeable nose ring. It reminded me of a bulls ring. I looked for a way to sneak past him but it wasn't gonna be easy. He occasionally shifted his feet, looking around out of pure boredom. Amongst the debris scattered about the place I spotted a concrete bar rod sticking out of the ground. To my surprise, the rod came out of the ground easily and quietly, as though someone drilled it into the sand just for the hell of it... It did seem out of place.

Slowly, I made my way to the bored sentry. To prevent being seen, i hunched down as low as i could and navigated the gauntlet of rocks as appose to just casually walking across the metal walkway to say "Sup!?" It was harder than it looked, those rocks were pretty damn slippery. I sacrificed time to avoid hitting the water or making too much noise until I was finally right beside him. He turned too late as I cracked the rod against his face. He went down with a heavy thud and I gave him one more for good measure. I check to see if he was still breathing before entering the gothic lair.

Staying low like before, I descended the dirty grey steps, hugging the wall as my only source of cover. My jaw hung open as i noted the scenery. Hints of its former grandeur were hidden within its architecture and theatrical presence but it had been decimated with graffiti and vandalism. Before me laid a curious scene… a whole hoard of Goths partied hard in what I imagined was once the grand hall or main foyer of the old hotel. Its walls were covered in what looked to be drapes of some kind, torn and frayed by time. Sadly they had long since lost their charm as they accompanied the collection of cobwebs and Halloween decorations, dangling from whatever structure permitted it. It wasn't Halloween yet but there were jock-o-lanterns, fake bats, witches on broomsticks and tacky fake skeletons decorated the entire area.

The source of the death metal came from a large stereo in the far corner…

"How I wish to smash it"

At the back there was some kind of a black throne. I couldn't make out the detail but it looked cumbersome, built for style not comfort, surrounded by crimson drapes. The Mistress sat here, watching her minions' dance, scream, drink, and make out around her. I dunno how i missed it before but her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, perfectly complementing her green eyes and soft features. The cow was naturally beautiful. She had to have been in her mid-twenties but her face was so heavy with makeup that it was impossible to be sure.

I dared to lift my head ever so slightly to try and see my guitar. It was at that moment that I noticed the centre of the room had some kind of a circular hollow pit. Sitting on the edge between some unlit torches was the platnum blonde guy again. Despite being dressed completely in black... He somehow seemed outta place here. Maybe it was the intense look of rage writtin across his face. He scanned the crowd slowly as though he were planning a very slow and painful death for every single Goth in this place. Then he saw me. Our eyes locked, my stomach tried to do a few backflips as i tried to think what to do. He frowned, looking mighty confused about something.

I silently begged "Please.. Please don't be with these people..." And decided to play my hunch.

I raised my index finger to my lips and shooshed him. His pale blue eyes lit up with amusement, his lips curled into a playful smirk and for a millisecond i forgot what i was doing. I flinched at the sound of breaking glass and dropped just as a drunken pain run past me, giggling with flirtatious intent. Exhailing slowly, I looked toward the hollow pit only to find the platinum blonde was gone.

"Who is this guy? Hudini?"

Forgetting what happened to the curious cat I lifted myself even higher and was shocked by what I saw. There were four real skeletons lying within this pit. Three of them were placed around the fourth in a triangular shape, the fourth being in the middle. What caught my attention was the condition of their bones. They weren't the typical bleached white colour one would expect.. Instead they were this dark gray... No ashen... As if they had been set ablaze and left to burn. One skeleton's bones looked brittle and barely in one piece as though someone dropped it into a tub of acid. Another one was in pieces, as if someone tore it apart but it was neatly placed into the appropriate position. Another had a huge hole in the center of its chest but the one in center had very unique damage. It had two puncture wounds protruding outwards like in the Alien movies or something...

Suddenly the music stopped and the Mistress screamed to her congregation "Welcome my pets." I dropped behind the wall on pure reflex while everyone else turned their attention to their Mistress.

"I promised you all a night to remember so I present to you... Santa Carla's vampires!"

As she spoke, torches around the circular pit lit up simultaneously, directing everyone's attention to the four corpses.

"Here lies the gang of vampires that held Santa Carla by its throat almost thirty years ago."

The crowd cheered and I dared to peak over the wall again. This time I spot my guitar. The creep with the spiked hair had it close to him, standing by the Mistresses throne. At that moment I considered admitting defeat, retreat back to the real world… but where's the fun in that? And that axe was my baby! I sum up my courage and started making my way around the crowd, sticking to the shadows like I belonged there. The Mistress continued her speech.

"Legend has it they were slain by the Emmerson and Frog brothers in 1987. Their reign of terror cut short. I say we raise them! Summon them back from oblivion and unleash them upon Santa Carla once more!"

There was a collective roar from the crowd as I jumped behind a deteriorating couch, barely being held together by masking tape.

"Seriously? Witch craft? That's nuts! This is not gonna end well."

I decide to double time it just in case they're successful... I see strange things on a daily basis but resurrected vampires is a new one on me. The Mistress rose from her throne and approached the skeletons in the pit. She held a black candle in one hand and some kinda powdery substance in the other. She began an incantation in what appeared to be French. She threw the powdery substance into one of the torches, making it spurt a green flame. She lit her candle and waved it around as she continued her incantation. While everyone was distracted I finally reached my guitar. I affectionately pat it before hoisting it over my shoulder. I wait for the next opportune moment to move without drawing attention to myself.

The Mistress finished her incantation and yelled "ARRISE!"… nothing happened… but the crowd whooped and cheered regardless. The Mistress cackled as the crowd began to role play feeding off of their partners. The Mistresses personal henchmen pawed over her while the Harley Quinn reject jumped into the crowd. Not wanting to see much more, I made my way towards the exit. I was uncertain if I was disappointed or relieved that the whole 'raising the vampires back from the dead' thing… was just some kinda kinky role play thing these guys did to trigger an orgy. Distracted by my thoughts I accidentally kicked a glass beer bottle across the floor. It shattered loudly against the wall and caught the whole crowd's attention. I silently cursed my clumsiness and turned to face them, still holding the concrete rod I picked up earlier. Common sense dictated I should run like hell but instead, I grin like a Cheshire cat, I simply couldn't resist.

"Catch you fuckers with your pants down!?" I run for the exit as the now half naked crowd gave chase. I'm cut off long before I can get to the exit and start putting the rod to good use. I swing as hard as I could, repeatedly catching people in the face, breaking noses and cutting cheeks. There were simply too many of them and I ran out of steam. Something clocked me on the back of my head and I hit the ground hard. I can feel myself being dragged along the ground and pulled up onto my knees. I am being held in place by two members from the crowd. My vision cleared and I could see the Mistress and her henchmen before me. The Mistress leaned closer and spoke with such a condescending tone.

"That was very foolish, perhaps I should thank you. You've saved us the trouble of tracking you down later for your lovely eyes." The crowd snickered with her as I regained some of my strength.

"Pfft… what are you gona do with 'em? Cast a spell? You're a charlatan lady. You couldn't even bring those guys back from the dead!" I'm kicked in the ribs by the spikey haired Goth, effectively knocking me to the ground.

The Mistress angrily retorted "Necromancy is a precise art, you couldn't possibly understand it complicity street trash."

While I was on the ground I curled up into the foetal position, feeling the side of my right boot. To my relief it's still there. I pawed it as I'm dragged to my feet by the 'helpful' minions as the Mistress handed a rather cruel looking blade to henchmen Goth number two. I make myself look like I could barely stay conscious let alone stand, convincing the Goths that held me in place that I wasn't going anywhere so they lowered their guard.

The Mistress spoke to her henchmen with such a sickly sweet voice "bring me her eyes".

He seemed all too pleased to carry out the task. He grabbed me by my throat roughly and tilted my head back for better access. Within a millisecond I assessed the situation. The Mistress had returned to the throne, the crowd was on my left, the pit of death on my right, and the Goth held that knife uncomfortably close to my eyes.

With an icy voice he whispered"This is going to hurt."

In that moment I moved quickly. I jammed the item I had hidden in my hand with enough force to create a 'crunching' sound into his throat, just below his left ear. My pocket knife was instantly covered in blood. A surreal sense of calmness swept over me. The ice returned to my veins. The excitement began to build. The part of me i tried so hard to control was loose... Now it was my turn to lean closer to him.

"I'm going to die tonight, and I'm taking you with me!"

I twist the blade before removing it from his throat. His eyes showed anguish as his face was contorted into a silent scream. I knocked his falling body to my right as I grabbed his blade with my free hand, ready to face the crowd one last time. Arterial spray spurted from his wound, decorating myself and the floor with a fresh coat of paint before falling into the pit. The Goths were in a state of shock. No one had killed one of their own and certainly never had the audacity to do it on their own turf. All of my pent up rage boiled to the surface and flowed freely through my veins, mealting the ice, giving me a strength I never knew. I was ready to kill them all as the Mistress screamed for my head… but no one moved.

At first it was disbelief, confusion, then fear that inched across their faces as the crowd was frozen in place. The Mistress repeated her order, storming towards me, infuriated that her minions were not doing her bidding until she too froze in place. Now I'm confused. I know its not me that scared them into submission so I slowly turn my head to my right. Behind me stood four skeletal corpses now covered in blood. The Goth that had fallen into the pit had been bled dry by an unknown force. Unless my eyes were deceiving me… flesh was beginning to return to their bones!


	3. Burning the Midnight Oil

"Holy shit!"

A low growl emanated from the now blood soaked skeletons standing before the crowd and I. Their damaged bones shifted back into their appropriate place with a sickening 'crack' before the raw flesh began to appear. Unfortunately the process of regeneration stopped before any recognizable features returned to their bodies. Instead they looked more like husks, skin tightly wrapped around their bones, as though there were no muscle structure at all. Their faces were gaunt and indistinguishable from each other for they lacked any features. No hair, no eyes... Just a pair of long fangs protruding from lipless mouths. One of them suddenly moved. It stepped onto the ledge of 'the pit of death' and stared at me.

I can't really say stare… It had no eyes but I could feel it staring right through me. My head began to pound as I became overwhelmed by a single thought. "Get Down" I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts. I dropped to the ground faster than you could blink. I had crouched down in such a way that I could bounce up again if I needed to. I crossed my arms in front of my face, holding the knives outwards, ready to stab anything that came my way. My beloved Axe (still strapped to my back) now acted as a spear-like obstacle, preventing anything from being able to charge right at me without impaling itself against it. I peeked out from under my arms to see what happened next.

As though my action somehow broke an unseen chain, the skeletons rushed into the crowd. Panic and chaos followed as the creatures began to systematically tear the Goths apart. Their screams of horror were drowned out by the sounds of flesh being ripped from their bodies and the snapping of bones. People tried to run in all directions, scampering over each other like a startled herd of cattle. Several were crushed to death by their own comrades in their desperate bid to flee. One of the skeletons moved faster than the eye could see and dashed ahead of the crowd, cutting off their escape. Few got past its savage claws and ravenous fangs as it devoured its prey. Between the blood, the bodies and incredibly fast movement, all I could see was a crimson stained mane of dark brown hair flowing freely behind a leather jacket with a leopard patch disappearing into the crowd.

Two of the other skeletons had attacked the crowd from the sides, working together in a pincer movement like on some forgotten battlefield. Limbs, blood and who know what else was thrown about the place as they sliced their way through the crowd. I couldn't keep my eye on those two for long because the fourth skeleton… husk… the one that stood on the ledge, was still there. It attacked the crowd from here. Close... Too bloody close to where I was squatting. The creature demonstrated an insane amount of strength by punching a Goth's head clean off his shoulders with a single strike. Unlike the other creatures it did not feed. No... I don't know how I knew but I could tell that it was pissed off. Instead of lavishing in blood, it made its way towards the Mistress.

She saw it coming. The cold hearted bitch grabbed henchmen number three and pushed him in front of her just as the enraged creature threw its taloned fist forward. The Goth never knew what hit him. The vampiric creature's fist punched right through the henchmen's chest, lifting him several inches above the ground before being tossed to the side. The now blood spattered Mistress screamed as she ran into the crowd. Unable to ignore the blood any longer, the creature returned its attention to the fallen henchmen. It savagely tore into the Goths throat before it ripped him apart. It was only when the guy's liver skidded across the floor towards me that I decided to run.

Unlike the Goths I didn't panic. I knew I didn't stand a chance trying to fight my way past the stampede and the creatures... Vampires... Anyway, I was gonna need my hands free. I dropped the Goth's ceremonial knife and tucked mine back into my boot before gracefully vaulting myself into the pit of death. This where my years of free running and not so honest choice of occupation came in handy. I rolled over the ledge, barely skimming one of the lit torches and ran back into the shadows. I followed the same path I took to get my axe back in the first place. I leapt over the old couch and rolled into a defensive role as I hit the ground to increase my speed as I bounced back up with the momentum. I moved like liquid as I danced around the terrified Goths, still running around like headless chooks.

One of the vamps that was now more or less in one piece launched towards me. I didn't even think. I knew the wall was just beside me so in a flash I changed direction, hopped, momentarily attached to the wall and performed a slightly awkward but effective backflip. The vamp missed me by a few inches and crashed into some poor bastard that didn't see him coming. All I really saw as I was upside down was this blur of curly dirty blond hair with and insane patch crowded jacket before I was upright again. That flip and the knock to the head I suffered earlier gave me a bed case of vertigo. I stumbled backwards a few steps thanks to the momentum and nearly fall flat on my arse.

To prevent this undoubtedly deadly act of clumsiness I turned that stumble into a running skid across my knees. Good thing too because I just dodged another severed limb flying across the room, adding to my now crimson hair, clinging to my face, making it harder to see where I was going. I finally reached those damn steps, the screams were all around me, the animalistic roars well and truly echoed in my skull. "No time!" on all fours I climbed up the dirty grey steps now sticky with blood. I'm caught completely by surprise as my calf was suddenly gripped with a vice like grip. I couldn't help the small yelp that fled my mouth.

As I was tugged roughly backwards, I twisted my body violently so I could see my assailant. I'm met with the roaring face of the long blood splattered haired brunet vampire. His eyes were ablaze with this unearthly amber and red, sending an uncomfortable shock right through my system. His pale face (now fully regenerated) seemed to become sharper, as if a much more aggressive bone structure was trying to punch through his skin. His long fangs were inches from my face. I yelled (not screamed) back into his face before I kicked him with my free foot. It didn't work! It only made him laugh as I kicked him again and again as I reached for the only weapon I had within my reach… my axe. I ripped the canvas bag from my shoulders and hit the laughing vampire with a downward thrust.

I couldn't get much strength behind that swing but I was enough to get his attention. I hobbled awkwardly on one foot (the other still in the now rather surprised looking vampire's grip) and smacked him harder with an uppercut swing. He lost his grip on me as he fought to keep his balanced. He glared with murder in his eyes as he launched at me again. This time I was ready for him. Within to shakes I was on my feet with the perfect 'batter up' and hit him as hard as I could, getting him square in the jaw. The impact knocked the creature into the wall before he tumbled down the stairs. Hair, arms and legs flailed along with him… it was hysterical. I laughed like the maniac I was before I ran outside, securing my axe back onto my shoulders, praying it didn't break on impact.

The cool night air slapped me in the face, killing the giggles that still erupted from the rather insane part of my brain and forced me to pay attention again. I raced up what I thought was a metal walkway earlier "it's actually wood… fancy that" and ended up on a clearing before the road lead through the rather ominous looking woods. A few of the surviving Goths stumbled about the place, running wherever their panicked legs would take them. The more sensible of the lot were running to their cars and bikes parked close to the road. One of them was shaking so violently that he couldn't get the keys into the ignition of his motorbike. Feeling that very familiar ice creeping back into my veins I ran over to the fumbling fool. He was completely unaware of my presence as run up behind him, snaked my hands around his head, left to hold him steady, right cupped under his jaw… and threw his head to the right.

The loud 'CRACK' snapped me out of my haze and I realized what I just did. I was shocked and appalled that I could do that to someone and not feel an ounce of regret but I'll kick my own arse about that later. Right now I had to get away, live to fight another day. The key had snapped off inside the ignition as the Goth fall to the side but that didn't faze me. I grabbed my trusty pocket knife and proceeded to hotwire the bike. I was never caught but GTA was my favourite pass time… it always gave me a rush. After a few tries I got the engine running and took off like a shot, just as the screams had finally died down from the Gothic massacre. Completely consumed with my thoughts about my violent actions I barely noticed the lighthouse burning away like a beacon of hope in the distance. I was so focused on chiding myself for being so cold that the spotlight from the lighthouse blinded me. The sudden intensity of the light made me flinch way too hard. That caused me to lose control of the bike as it ran over a bump in the old dirt road. It swerved roughly to the left before falling to the right, skidding against the road with a deafening grind, taking me with it. I finally kicked away from the bike and tumbled along way too quickly to see where I was going. Instinctively I tucked my arms and legs into me and shifted my weight in an attempt to control the roll… no good… within a millisecond I had rolled off the roach and into the bushes. I came to a sudden stop as my body wrapped around a tree. Searing hot white pain screamed from my ribs and I couldn't breathe… I couldn't move… soon everything faded to black but before the sweet abyss consumed me I swear I could hear a bunch of guys laughing from pure joy and exhilaration…

'What a lovely laugh'


	4. Good morning sunshine

I'm surrounded by darkness, unable to see even an inch in front of my nose. I can see a spot of light in the distance and start making my way towards it. The closer I got to the light the more afraid I became. Soon I could see a silhouette in the light, matching the figure of a woman. I stopped before I got any closer and she cocked her head.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked me with a condescending tone. "You belong to me girl!"

I realized it was my mother and tried to get away. She reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer until we stood face to face. Her features were now distorted, her eyes black and soulless, her skin grey and cracked. I could hear the sound of a baby screaming in the distance… 'No don't be him… please don't be him'. She spoke with a daemonic voice.

"You killed him! Now I own you! You can never escape my mark!" and proceeded to laugh as I tried to get out of her grip. I was panicking now. Before I could think of anything to do I began to sink into the ground. She came with me. The shadows became thick and began to creep down my throat… I couldn't breathe… I was suffocating and all I could hear was the sound of that baby crying, getting louder and louder as the darkness began to seep into my eyes.

…..

I awoke from my dream in a cold sweat, my breath well and truly hitched in my throat. I involuntarily shivered from the nightmare. My body was so ridged it hurt and I realized I had been digging my nails into my clenched fists. Slowly I let go of my death grip and released the air now burning in my lungs. I don't really flinch or wake up thrashing from my nightmares anymore… I guess it's because it's become a regular occurrence or something. Now that I was calm and centred I realized I was lying on a couch… and my shirt was missing. "omg did they see my scars!?" In a panic I almost bolted upright but as I tensed my abdominal muscles to do just that a bolt of pain shot through my system, forcing me to stay completely still. My eyes clamped shut as I hissed quietly to myself before opening them again to look around.

First I looked down. Much to my relief my sports bra was still firmly attached to my chest. Below that however was a bandage wrapped around my ribs, tapped firmly in place to add support. My navy blue denim jeans were torn and bloodied but thankfully still where they belonged. My eyes drifted to the wall behind my feet, covered with graffiti… 'I'm in the hotel/cave!' It was then I noticed a pair of black steel capped boots resting next to my combat boots. Silently my eyes traced past the boots and up the biker leather pants, then a pair of black gloved hands gently clasped together, (still slowing looking up) followed by a black trench coat covering the torso of a man cascading over a… wheel chair? Then finally my eyes found the face of the man that I didn't realise was so freaken close to me. He was sound asleep.

I quickly looked around as best I could without moving anything other than my neck. Not a single body or a drop of blood from the Goth massacre could be found. All of the Halloween decorations were gone and had been replaced with starfish, seashells, c.d's and drapes with surprisingly soft colours… 'strange… but definitely an improvement.' Close to the couch was my backpack and what was left of my beloved axe. I internally groaned and felt myself roll me eyes. 'Now what am I gonna do? I guess it didn't survive the crash… RIP baby." I shook my head before returning my attention to 'sleeping beauty' in the wheel chair.

I paid close attention to his face. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. I almost said "awe" aloud but decided to keep that in my head. To my eyes he was quite handsome. The soft stubble adorning his jaw called out to me, tempting me to run my fingers through it and I could feel myself biting my lip in response to my girlish moment. My eyes moved up again and focused on his platinum blond mullet…

'PLATNUM BLONDE MULLET!? Houdini himself! Where the hell did you come from? Where were you during the massacre? What the hell is going on!?'

Very VERY slowly I lifted myself into a sitting position. My ribs screamed in protest but I didn't care, I needed to get up. An even slower and more painful act was to lift my legs, one at a time, away from 'Houdini's' feet, careful not to make a sound. Somehow I did it and was now sitting on the edge of the couch, the pain from my ribs slowly disappearing into the back of my mind. I always wondered if my ability to ignore pain was unnatural but I was always afraid to find the answer to that question so I never perused it. I spotted my skull T-shirt in a crumbled pile next to my bag and quickly slipped in on. It was completely torn up and barely in once piece… but it covered my scars and that's good enough. Now that I could have a closer look at Houdini I noticed that he was breathing incredibly slowly… as though he was a salamander hibernating inside ice or something.

I rose onto my feet and dared to inch closer. Normally with fit or healthy people you can spot their heartbeat by merely watching the base or the side of their neck, depending on how their head was positioned. Since 'Houdini's' head was tucked slightly to his left I focused on his neck. I could not see the tell-tale bump from his artery! Nothing… no movement at all! Perplexed and concerned that 'Houdini' was dead I wanted to check his pulse. Just as I was about to inch closer and reach for his neck my instincts kicked into overdrive, screaming at me to stop and oddly enough, to look at the pit of death. I was overcome with a sense of dread and danger as I walked towards the 'pit of death'. It was empty… so why did I feel so uneasy?... 'Where are the skeletons?'

As quick as my body permitted it I looked around the 'foyer' of the cave and saw there was no trace of them. Like the Goth's they had disappeared. Suddenly the temperature dropped and my goose bumps stood on alert as my brain replayed the events of the massacre. The Vampire that attacked the Mistress came into focus. The images slowed down before the henchman's liver skidding across the floor. Before my eyes tore away to look at the organ in front of me I saw that platinum blonde mullet quickly growing back as the features of the man in the wheel chair regenerated, covered in blood. I snapped out of my trance and felt my eyes widen as I realized I was now in the presence of a real life vampire. 'How in hell am I still alive?'

In perfect silence I ninja stepped back to the sleeping vampire. I twisted my head to the left and noticed it was still day time. What time I dunno, I lost my watch before I moved here. 'hmm… heavy sleeper… dangerous when you think about it.' I shook my head as a billion questions ran through it… then a very wicked thought came to mind. 'He's sound asleep and hasn't moved an inch… perfect'. I slowly made my way to my bag and opened it. The mini amp had been smashed to bits along with most of my pencils. My sketch book had a few dents in it but it was still in one piece. I pulled it out along with a good pencil, sat down carefully onto the couch, and proceeded to sketch the sleeping vampire. I know I should be afraid of him. I know I should be screaming and running for the hills like the Goth's did last night. But I'm not like other people and it's because of that fact that I'm still alive. I wanted to capture this moment so I could never forget it. I don't really know why and I don't really care.

After completing a rough sketch and was satisfied with the position and page spacing I decided it was time to leave. I looked to the entrance of the cave and noticed the light now had an orange tinge to it. Surmising it was now the afternoon, I quietly placed my sketchbook and pencil back into my bag. I secured it tightly onto my back and reached for what was left of my guitar. Upon realizing that it was simply in too many pieces to carry, I grudgingly decided to leave it where it was. I silently stalked my way back to the sleeping vampire. I leaned closer to his exposed ear and whispered a soft and barely audible "Thanks for not killing me." With a small smile on my lips I slowly and silently made my way to the dirty grey steps, completely oblivious to the pair of ice blue eyes now watching me leave.


	5. You learn something new every day

By the time I reached my house in the middle of 'Slumsville' it was already beginning to get dark. On the way home I'd found my jacket just slightly off the old dirt road close to the crash site amongst some rather sharp looking rocks and fallen branches. True to form the blasted thing was in even worse condition than my shirt… bummer I really liked that jacket. With a huff I had tied what was left of it around my waist, securing the rags that was once my shirt back where it belonged as oppose to revealing all there was to see every time the wind blew. Oddly enough I don't really remember how I got home… I don't remember passing the board walk, the town or walking through the 'underworld' of Santa Carla to get here.

Slowly I cupped my hand against my forehead and felt an almost endless stream of sweat completely flood my palm. I internally groaned knowing damn well that this is not from the pain or the heat… the pain was somewhere in the back of my head, a dull reminder that my body was damaged. The heat… I'm Aussie. This heat is mild compared to the middle of summer back home. I groaned aloud. I freaken hate being in such a deranged state. Its hazardous to everyone's health… the lack of control frightens me…

*sigh* 'I just hope no one was stupid enough to get in my face this time…'

Fatigue suddenly hit me like a freight train as I reached the front porch of my house. My arm felt heavy as I reached out to open said door. My hand just gripped the door knob when the damn thing flew open with such force it almost took my nails with it… 'Ouch that smarts!' before me stood a rather shabby looking woman in a pink satin night gown stopping shortly above her knees. Upon closer inspection I realized it was my mother.

Her Auburn hair looked like a burned birds nest (I snickered at the thought) and her raccoon eyes betrayed her lack of foresight the night before… one should really remove their makeup before sleeping/passing out. I pulled a strand of my own hair outta my eyes before I took in her expression momentarily lost in my rather comforting realization that I really only had three things in common with this woman… we're the same gender, we have the same hair colour, and we have the same height… that's it. Back to reality for a minute I noticed she was about to go nuclear on me but I was too tired to care.

"Where the hell have you been!?" she screeched at me. "You've been gone for two fucking days!"

A small smile played on my lips as I answered rather slyly "What's the matter mother, afraid you lost your meal ticket?"

SLAP! I stumbled slightly to the right from the unexpected hit. Getting slapped around by my mother was nothing new… but she was always so careful not to do it in public before… I regained my balance and stared into my mother's green eyes. The ice was beginning to slip back into my veins. The urge to kill was becoming unbearable. It took everything to smack it back down… 'not yet' I tell myself.

'Oh God… "not yet"… have I really crossed that line?'

"Jesus Christ you're just like your father! Get your butt inside now!" She grabbed me by the scruff of my neck as she spoke and dragged me inside. She slammed the door roughly behind us, forcing a screw to fall out of the rusty hinge. She mumbled something under her breath… I think… I'm not sure… but holy shit if she did… "We should never have come back here". But I get confused all the time. I see and hear things no one else does… that usually means you're a psycho or schizophrenic right? 'Was my father like this?'

These thoughts were jumping around in my mind as I responded in a dead pan voice. "Just like my father huh?… wait… does that mean you actually remember which guy you fucked to spawn me?"

CRACK. I expected that one so I only allowed my head to move with the back of her hand to the left. I looked back at her and smiled. That always freaked her out.

"I've had enough of your smart mouth Lizzy, just for your latest bout of disrespect you rent has tripled you little shit!"

"Can't pay the rent if I aint' here… mother."

"Just try your luck you little slut! You disappear on me again, I'll go to the cops, and tell them EVERY GOD DAMN THING I KNOW!"

I felt my hands twitch. Now I'm well and truly pissed off with her, I finally decided to call her bluff… funny… I used to be such a timid little thing…

"Yesss mother, let's do just that. C'mon, I'm sure they're just dying to know who really killed Marvin, hmm?

BAM! This time mother punched me in the nose… hard. I lost my balance completely. I stumbled backwards before falling on my hip, taking the dead daisies with me. My ribs sang in protest before I willed them to stop.

"Don't you EVER say his name in this house again! It's your fault! You killed him! And don't you ever forget it your little bitch!

Mother stepped on my calf as she walked past me, heading towards the kitchen. An animalistic growl escaped my throat. It was now I decided that enough was enough. Family or not, I wasn't gonna take her shit anymore. I grabbed her ankle and pulled with all my might. She was so taken by surprise that she didn't even have time to brace for impact. She fall face first into the old dusty floor boards with a satisfying thud. Her blood spattered across the floor as she spat out a tooth.

She screamed something incoherently as she tried to crawl away from me. I lifted myself off the ground on all fours and scampered closer to her. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulled her head back, and smacked it into the ground with enough force for it to register as a seven on the Richter scale. With her hair still in my hand, I dragged my mother into the kitchen. She kicked and screamed the whole way… it was so satisfying to hear such pain in terror in her voice… how the tables have turned. I slammed her body against the fridge before I grabbed my trusty pocket knife from the side of my boot. With a single swift movement I had opened the knife, squatted to my mother's eye level, and held it against her throat. It was still completely stained with Goth blood. She stopped struggling and stared into my eyes… absolutely terrified.

"Ohh… how long I've waited to see that look on your face mother" I sneered, truly enjoying her fear… forgetting I was trying so hard not to become like this… a monster…

Soon anger replaced her fear as she spat into my face. "You're so dead when Jake finds out about this!"

Coldly, calmly, and completely ignoring the spit dripping down my face, I leaned closer before speaking again.

"You always were a coward mother… you never could get your hands dirty. No… you like to pull the strings don't you? Leave the smoking gun for someone else to use… don't you?" I traced my knife around her lips as I spoke. "sure you've hit me, insulted me, hell you even held me down as Jake dished out the punishment when I was too small, too slow to run or fight back… but it was Jake who did the deed… you're both responsible for the damage done."

I placed the knife back against her throat, a warning for her to stop squirming beneath my grip.

"It really just dawned on me that you never had any proof about anything did you? Just your word against mine." I smiled rather sadistically… mother only knew about the minor things like B&E and GTA… if she knew anything else… she would never have hit me… or maybe that's why she feels she could pin Marvin's death on me… I would never have hurt him… ever.

"They would have believed me" she said so confidently. I scoffed before answering.

"I'm not the one with the prior record…"

"All I'd have to do was tell them who your father was and explain that you're just like him. A deranged. Psychotic. Freak. Just to make sure, I'd show them some cuts, some bruises, tell them you tried to kill me, and that you killed Marvin. They'd have locked you up without a second thought and thrown away the fucking key."

She chuckled cruelly at this. Despite what's happened today, I had NEVER laid a hand on my mother before. Why? She's the only family I've got. By the fact that I even care about such things should mean I'm not that psychotic… right? But she was willing to lie to make sure I got locked up… so I was more curious than ever to know who my father was…

"Well mother… instead of sharing this great revelation with the cops… you're going to tell me… mark my words mother dearest… this is the only way you're getting out of this alive."

"You aint' got the guts you little bitch!" she sneered. 'if only she knew what I'd been up to recently'

To prove my point I slowly stabbed her in her left shoulder, twisting the blade before removing it again. She looked surprised as she screamed in agony. She tried to get out of my grip only for me to use my free hand to grab her by the throat, effectively choking her a little, just to let her know that she has no control.

"TELL ME HIS NAME!" I yelled.

"FUCK! YOU FUCKING PSYCHO! FUCK YOU!" She screamed back.

Well and truly out of patience I punched her would before roaring in her face "WHAAAAT'S HIIIIS NAAAAME!?" I sounded inhuman…

"AAAARRGH! JOHN! JOHN RYDER!" she sobbed before adding "you fucking cunt" with such a pathetic whimper.

Then… just like that… a switch flipped somewhere in my head. I felt warm and fuzzy. The tension in my shoulders relaxed. The rage, hatred and the darkness slowly dissipated, leaving the giddy hyper manic Elizabeth in its place. The old me… 'hello stranger, guess what I learned today? My daddy's name is John Ryder, that means my name is Elizabeth Ryder… and if I'm just like him… then he won't hate me on sight like everyone else in this fucking world'. Suddenly remembering what I was in the middle of I quickly used the butt of my knife and smashed it across my mother's temple. Satisfied she was out for the count when she hit the deck with so much as an 'oomf', I proceeded to look for the duct tape.

I found it on the top of the fridge and used it to tie her wrists and ankles together. Jake would get here soon enough and free her. There were a few things I needed to do before I could erase them from my life for good. Until that business had been taken care of, they can live the rest of their days in fear. I smiled at the thought… it almost made me feel as good as discovering my daddy's name. I sighed as I was suddenly overcome with the feeling that I was forgetting something important. It was something mother said before this untimely shit storm happened. What the hell was it? I slowly rose to my feet and walked towards the stairs, opening and closing my knife absentmindedly as I thought about what I was forgetting.

*Gasp* 'Mother said I had been gone for two days! THAT MEANS THE CONCERT'S TOMORROW NIGHT! My guitar is dead! I have no home! I have no money! And I have a VERY small window to work with here! What the hell am I gonna do!?'

I butt my head against the wall as I tried to force a solution to my self-inflicted shit storm. Nothing was coming to me.

"Fuck"

With that I dragged my sorry self into the bathroom in order to clean myself up and get ready to leave. After going full psycho on my mother it was a pretty safe bet that I was no longer welcome in this house and that if I tried to stay… well I'd kill her long before I'm supposed to. 'Not yet' I reminded myself. I winced when I caught my reflection in the mirror. I was completely covered in scratches and bruises… some older than others. I took my time to remove my clothes, careful not to hurt my ribs in the process. As I removed my bra and the bandages I couldn't help but stare at the scars on my back. The deep gashes serve as a constant reminder of my shame. That once I was so weak that I allowed myself to be hurt like this. 'Never again… but what was the price?' not wanting to focus on such heavy thoughts I stepped into the warm relaxing shower that beckoned me to forget all my woes just for the moment. I noticed the bruises around my ribs were VERY dark, suggesting that it would take quite a while for that to heal. I groaned as I knew all too well that I need to be in top shape to survive going back on the street for the third time.


	6. Chasing Shadows

"You gotta be freaken kidding me!"

Whatever Jimmy had to say after that, I didn't hear. I now held the receiver as far away from my head as I possibly could as I leaned into the phone booth. The last thing I needed was for my headache to get any worse than it already was. As I waited for Jimmy to turn it down a couple of notches I eyed the board walk's nightlife striding pass without a care in the world.

'They're all so distracted… inattentive… easy prey'.

I shook the thought from my head and returned my attention to the now slightly hysterical friend on the line… I took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as I could.

"I was in an accident mate, completely knocked out cold! My guitar is completely smashed beyond repair and I'm bloody lucky to be alive. So how about you cut me some freaken slack and ask the guys if there is a spare guitar in their arsenal." I think I failed at hiding my agitated tone…

"Liz these guys are so so mad at you right now, you've missed two rehearsals and…"

I cut him off before he could continue "I WAS UNCOUNSCIOUS FOR TWO DAYS! IT WAS NOT. MY. FAULT! Dammit Jimmy I need your help mate, tell these bunch of gala's to man up and check their gear!"

"Alright alright" Jimmy surrendered and told me to hang on for a second. I stared at the bag resting at the base of my feet and gave it an agitated kick. It was filled to the brim with the only other set of clothes I owned. There was no way I was gonna let that get ripped to shreds like my last outfit… this baby is for concerts only! I looked up just in time to witness a strange scene unravel before my very eyes.

Just in the distance, close to the markets, I spotted a guy who was totally dressed for the 80's festival. His long blonde hair was completely wild and would've fit right in at a Bon Jovi or Motley Crew concert. He supported an alternative style black jacket with coins and safety pins ordained, surprisingly neatly, accompanied with very distracting white… leather?... denim?... (I'm too far away to get a good look) pants. He looked a little… lost. Like he was taking in absolutely every detail before him as he appeared to be trying to get his bearings… or maybe he was looking for something.

A Surf Nazi with a giant green Mohawk and SS letters stamped onto the back of his leather jacket started to harass the Bon Jovi dude. Bon Jovi just smiled and said something back, clearly unfazed with the creeps attempt at intimidation. The Surf Nazi's friends with a variation of greaser and emo hair styles, backed him up and soon had Bon Jovi surrounded with four to one odds. I was absolutely furious!

'That gutless bastard couldn't take him on in a fair fight! Fucking bullies I HATE them!'

I was just about to leap out of the phone booth to help Bon Jovi when his own backup arrived. Three guys pounced from somewhere within the crowd and stood side by side, forming a perfect wall against the Nazi's. One of them wore a wild patched jacket… another had a… leopard print… (My eyes widened with realisation) and the other was completely dressed in black… within a heart beat a group fight broke out between the vampires and the Nazi's.

The Nazi's never stood a chance. Every time one of them tried to make contact with one of the vampires' they met thin air. The green Mohawk tried to give Bon Jovi a mean left hook only to be trapped by crazy patches. He twisted the Nazi's arm sharply and the Nazi screamed in agony, I didn't have to be up close to know that his arm had been broken. Meanwhile another Nazi made a move for the Native American with the leopard patch. He was way too slow. The brunette easily ducked under his opponent's clumsy jab and delivered a crisp uppercut, sending the Nazi a couple of feet away and bounced off a trash can.

Two Nazi's made a move for Houdini only to have one of them side swiped by Bon Jovi, leaving the other the face Houdini alone. This Nazi could actually handle himself in a fight. He kept his guard up as he manoeuvred his way around Houdini, trying to get him to create an opening for him to strike. Unfortunately for the Nazi, Houdini blocked and parried every move. I swear the guy was smiling, as if this was just too funny to keep a straight face for this amateur.

Houdini moved like lightning. He delivered a three hit combo, two in the liver then one in the jaw, forcing the Nazi to drop to his knees. He grabbed the Nazi by the collar and lifted him towards his face so that the Nazi could see Houdini's eyes. He said something that made the Nazi piss his pants before being dropped into his own puddle. Then they quickly disappeared into the crowd as the B grade security guards arrived, demanding to know where the victors went. The crowd dispersed. No one helped the cops in Santa Carla… they knew better.

My jaw was somewhere in China at the moment and it took me a minute to dig it up again. That was like witnessing art! I cursed Jimmy for taking so damn long! Now they've disappeared again. I released the breath I didn't realise I was holding and leaned against the glass. I marvelled at their coordination. They knew exactly what they were doing and they had each other's back. Jimmy's voice suddenly rang through the receiver and I placed it against my ear.

"Sorry sweetheart but their old guitarist took all his gear with him when he left. You're on your own. No guitar, no gig" drawled Jimmy with a dead pan voice.

"I'm not your sweetheart Jimmy and don't you bloody well forget it" I seethed through gritted teeth.

"Suit yourself girl, either be there on time with your own guitar tomorrow night or never show your face around here again. I don't owe you anymore favours, we're done." With that he hung up and the dial tone hummed mercilessly until I silenced it.

"Wanker" I muttered under my breath as I picked up my bag and exited the phone booth. '*sigh* it seems like it's only a matter of time before I rub everyone the wrong way… and that's when I'm trying to be… not a psycho' I muttered with a shrug. I secured my bag tightly to my back as I began to navigate the crowd, heading towards the markets. I spied a guy in his early twenties dressed in semi casual summer clothes walking and texting at the same time. He seemed to be using his peripheral vision pretty well for he did not bump into anyone and managed to avoid a head on collision with an alternative styled teenager. But he was indeed one hundred percent distracted with his phone.

Very casually, I strode towards the guy on the phone. I made myself look absolutely awe struck as I stared at the ocean instead of where I was going. I bumped into the guy hard enough for him to drop his phone as he staggered backwards from the impact.

"What the fuck man!?" he shouted with his arms wide open to emphasise his frustration.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry" I state with a bashful smile. I quickly picked up his phone and handed it back to him. "Are you ok?" I asked innocently.

He scoffed before answering "Watch where you're going next time dude" he eyed his phone to make sure it wasn't damaged.

"You betcha, see you around" I wave slightly before walking away.

I took a quick peek over my shoulder to find he had resumed his text message and continued on his way. Once I was comfortable with the distance I fished out a dark brown leather wallet from my navy blue long sleeved shirt and checked its contents. It had credit cards, drivers licence, some tech firm business card and about two hundred dollars in cash. 'score' I grinned to myself as I pocketed the cash into what used to be my denim jeans (now converted into torn shorts) and threw the phone guys wallet into the next bin. A wave of adrenaline had rushed through my entire body, momentarily snapping it out of its exhausted state.

*giggling* 'old habits really do die hard'

Just then I thought I heard someone chuckle rather darkly somewhere to my left. I turned quickly to face whoever it was only to be met with the usual sea of people pushing past one another to get to wherever their hearts desired. Slightly confused, I resumed my hunt for distracted patrons to try and swipe enough money to get a new guitar, maybe even something to eat while I'm at it. Every single time I swiped someone's wallet, pocket book, or purse I would catch a glimpse of a wild patch jacket, leopard print, safety pins, or totally black. Every time they disappeared before I could get a good look at them. Either my mind was playing tricks on me like it usually did or I was being toyed with… I didn't like either scenario.

Deciding to take a break, I got myself a hotdog and leaned against the railings close to the fair grounds. While I was happily munching away I spotted a new face in the crowd. My instincts kicked into overdrive so I had to pay attention to every minute detail. I locked onto an average height guy with an average build. He had short dark brown hair and green eyes accompanied with rather average looking features. Nothing stood out about this guy. Not even his casual black T-shirt supported with black skinny jeans and red converse shoes. Accept… he was very pale.

For a moment time seemed to slow down again as I focused on the newcomer. Before my very eyes his face began to change. His features became sharp and elongated. His hands turned into long talons with yellow nails. His eyes had turned completely black and a shiver ran up my spine as I spotted a pair of sharp canines as he smiled at someone in the crowd. Then he saw me. He tilted his head slightly to the side before making his way towards me. Soon we were face to face, separated by only an inch or two.

"Well hello there, I haven't seen you before… *he smiled before continuing* are you new around here?"

I hadn't stopped staring and I didn't say a word. I was too busy trying to comprehend what the hell I was looking at. He noticed and spoke with a rather charming tone

"It's not polite to stare you know…"

As if on cue I blinked and his face had returned to normal. Absolutely flabbergasted I shook my head and stared this fella right in the eye. Even if what I saw was a total hallucination, there was something about this guy's eyes that spelled 'evil'. Without missing a beat, I slapped on my best insane grin and whispered "El Diablo!" Then I dashed quickly into the crowd. Behind me I heard the 'what the fuck was that?' laugh before it was drowned out by the constant yammering of the crowd.

I pushed the strange encounter out of my mind and resumed my hunt for easy targets. I only needed one more pull, maybe two and I'll be able to replace my guitar! I spotted a trio of Surf Nazi's playing craps against the 'mom and pop' shop. They all had their backs to me and one of them with shaggy red hair was stupid enough to have his wallet in his back pocket. I could barely contain my excitement as I ninja stepped towards the SS trio. Carefully I reached into his back pocket and began to lift his wallet when his hand suddenly clamped down on my wrist and damn near crushed it.

The red head Nazi whipped his head around to reveal a very nasty glare followed by an arrogant snarl. I tried to tear my hand away from his only to be yanked right into his chest then shoved aggressively against the wall. He held his arm against my throat and pinned my body against the wall with his own, effectively straddling my hips.

"Look what I found fellas!" he leered.

"oooh she's a looker" chimed one of his buddies while the other laughed to his comment.

"This little mouse tried to what was mine… now what do you think we ought to do with her?"

I didn't really hear anything else as my mind began to shift again. But this time it was not the comforting ice that gave me such power before. No. this time my mind slipped back into a very dark place where all I could hear was the sound of leather twisting and creaking… growing tighter around my neck... The sound of that accursed buckle jingling with a loud clap against the wooden floor boards… The sensation of searing hot pain accompanied with tearing flesh… the pitiful cries of a tiny child begging

"Mummy no! please stop! Pleeeeeaaassse! I'm sorry! Please! Make him stop! Please!"

I see red. I feel hatred. I begin to scream. I continued to scream as I pushed with all my unnatural might against the bag of filth in front of me. I continued to scream as I clawed out one of his eyes. I continued to scream as I threw the red headed bastard against the wall and continuously bashed his head against the concrete until it was nothing but a bloody pulp. The other two Nazi's tried to retrain me but they were pulled back by an unseen force. The sudden shift in gravity as their hands were ripped from my body forced me to fall backwards and hit my head.

Thankfully it knocked me back into my senses as I turned onto my stomach and tried to get my bearings again. I looked up to see the Houdini and the Native American rip the Nazi's into pieces as the other two kept watch. They sprayed the Nazis' blood all over the place as their skin and other chunks of flesh were scattered about the alleyway. I'm breathing pretty damn hard as I try to expel the madness that had grown within me. My whole body was completely drenched in sweat as I drifted back into a numb deranged state.

For a blissful moment I had shut out the world around me. I could feel myself being moved into a sitting position with my back against the wall. Something was being rubbed off my face with a gloved hand. A smooth sly voice was calling me back from the brink of total psychosis. I didn't really wanna come back. I was free from all my woes here. Free to be exactly what I'm supposed to be. Immune to absolutely everything in this forsaken world. But that voice. It pierced right through my mind like the best damn Ballard I ever heard. I followed it back, away from the madness.

"Hey… can you hear me? C'mon come back to us girl…"

I blinked a few times before focusing on the figure in front of me. For once, I didn't mind having my personal space invaded. I quickly gave the stranger a once over and realized it was Houdini. I blinked one more time before I locked onto his ice blue eyes.

He smiled, honestly relieved. "There you are" he spoke with a kind tone.

"Welcome back sista" Chimed Bon Jovi.

"We thought we lost ya there girl" added crazy patches. The brunette added a quiet "yeah".

"For a minute there… you almost did" I sounded as exhausted as I felt. "Thank you so much" I flashed them all an honest smile.

They all returned my smile with their own grins before Houdini said "It was our pleasure."


	7. So I'm not crazy?

"Are you able to stand?"

Houdini extended his gloved hand to me as an offer to accompany his words. Honestly i was too tired to stand on my own and could use the help. I clasped my hand with his own and pulled against his weight to get on my feet.

"Yeah... I'm good." I sounded more confident than i felt.

Houdini smirked as he stedied my shoulders, then turned his attention to the others.

"Boys, see what you can do about the mess."

"Meet you at the usual spot?" quiried wild patches.

Houdini merely nodded as he lead me out of the alleyway. i stole a galnce behind my shoulder only to see the boys were gone... along with what was left of the bodies.

'Damn you guys are fast'

Houdini led me back to the railing overseeing the jetty, close to the markets where i was having my dinner just moments ago. I leaned against the railing, greatful for the support while Houdini whipped out a packet of cigarrettes from the inside of his coat. With a flick of his wrist, a single cigarette jumped out of the packet.

"Smoke?" He held the box towards me, motioning for me to take the cigarrette

I shook my head as i spoke "Nah... thanks anyway" and turned to face him, still leaning my hip against the railing.

Houdini took the cigarette in his mouth, returned the packet into his coat, then whipped out a traditional gold lighter. He lit himself, put the lighter away and took a very long drag on his cigarette. He really looked like he was enjoying that. We watched each other in mutual silence... it seems like we're both trying to figure something out... Soon after the other boys showed up from who knows where, laughing and joking about something.

"She's a total psycho girl!" Yelled Bon Jovi as he pumped one fist in the air.

"Did you see that guys fucking head come apart? That was awesome!" Chimed in crazy patches with a wide grin.

"Clean kill, not a single drop on her... you've so done that before girl." added leapord patch with a sly smile.

I imediatally hid my face behind my hair, totaly embarrased that these guys not only saw my psycho side... but they seemed to like that i am a killer... and i was recieving an aweful lot of attention... i'm not used to that.

"Cool it boys, you're embarrasing the young lady." leered Houdini. "I think introductions are well overdue, I'm David."

He extended his hand towards me again, this time with what i guessed to be his signature smirk... it fit his face so well. I grasped it in as firm a grip as i could manage and gave it slight shake.

"Hi David, I'm Elizabeth... Elizabeth Ryder."

"It's nice to finally meet you in person.. so's to speak." His smile darkened at that and i wasn't quite sure what he meant... Reguardless, he released his equally firm grip on my hand and the other boys introduced themselves. Bon Jovi was next.

"Hey Liz, I'm Paul." He gave me a wink as he shook my hand and i couldn't help but blush.

"G'day Paul... I can see you're trouble aready." I joked with a grin. Paul gave me the 'who me?' kinda look before i moved on to crazy patches.

"I'm Marko, nice to meet you Elizabeth." He held my hand in both of his before letting me go.

"Hi Marko, thats one hell of a jacket you've got there." I smiled as i spoke... my face was starting to hurt with how much i've been smiling lately.

"Thanks doll, it took ages to get all these patches but it was so worth it." He beemed. Next was Leapord patch.

"Hey, I'm Dwayne... we've met already." He smirked as he shook my hand.

"Oh right... you look much nicer when you're not trying to eat me, how's your head?" I grinned mischeviously.

He laughed before answering "About as sore as my tail but i'll live."

"You got your butt kicked by a girl!" Howled Paul as he dodged Dwayne's retailiation punch.

Dwayne continued to fight with Paul, making contact with a few punches but none of them were serious. I had a feeling these guys liked to playfight often and to be honest, it was rather refreshing to see. Marko egged them on and teased the both of them for missing or hitting like girls. I saw out of the corner of my eye that David had extinguished his cigarrette.

He flicked the bud away from him and took a step closer towards me. I turned to face him as i shouldered the strap for my bag.

"So, you know what we are... and this doesn't freak you out?" He raised an eyebrow while he waited for my answer.

"Should it?" I asked. It was a genuine question. It was actually a comfort to know that these boys really were vampires... it meant i wasn't as crazy as i thought i was. "You guys don't seem to bothered about what i am."

David smiled before he spoke. "Well, we think you're a bad ass and while others would find your nature as a fault, we believe its a quality... Most people would find us unsettling."

"Well i'm not like most people." I frowned as i looked at the people in the crowd, totally ignoring us if not slightly giving all of us a wide birth.

'Isn't it amzing how much people ignore, i mean... here we are having a slightly vague conversation about being vampires and psycho's... and they're none the wiser.'

"That much is obvious... so were you born like this or did you have a near death experience?"

I frowned as i processed his question. "What do you mean? Like what?"

David cocked his head to the side, looking slightly confused if not irritated for some reason. "Like a clairvoyant... I'm pretty sure you saw me when the Goth bitch had you cornered during the day... and you definatly saw me back in the cave." He grinned darkly before he continued. "You even told me to be quiet... and the rest is history."

Everything kinda slowed down to a crawl... David just answered a life long riddle... he confirmed that when he kept pulling the Houdini act on me, it wasn't because i was crazy and conjured a very hot hallusination, but i had been a ghost! This whole time before i accidently reanimated them! I couldn't believe it! What else had i been seeing that's actually real? Does that mean i am not AS crazy as i thought i was? I mean yeah i'm a psycho when pushed but i'm not schitzophrenic!

I wanted to jump for joy! So thats exactally what i did. I started to jump and do a little happy dance as i hollered and whooped sounds of joy and excitement. All four of the boys stopped what they were doing and stared at me like i was... well insane. I didn't care. I didn't care that they were blood sucking vampires. I didn't care that they've killed a lot of people already in the short time that i've known them. To me, they were now the most beautiful creatures in the world. I'm not insane! I'm just crazy!

I yelled a string of "thank you's" before i tackle hugged every single one of them. This made all four of them snap out of their confused stupour and grin their own seedy grins.

"You have no idea what you've just done for me! Thank you so much!" I was so giddy i couldn't stop grinning if i tried.

"I take it you didn't know that you were clairvoyant?" Smirked David.

"Noooooooooooo i just thought i was bat shit insane."

They all laughed at this which in turn made me laugh too. "You're welcome" smiled David.

"Hey we so owe you for saving our lives so this is like, the least we could do." Chimed Marko with his cheshier cat grin.


	8. Choices.

"Nah, you boys don't owe me nothing" I waved my hand dismissively. "You didn't have to patch me up when you found me down the road two nights ago, and you didn't have to help me with those surf Nazi's in the alley either. So the way I see it, I actually owe you boys a favour."

I folded my arms and smiled, feeling quite confident with my assessment of the situation. I hadn't failed to notice the very dark and seedy grins from all of the boys as I spoke of owing them a favour. I quirked an eyebrow before continuing.

"Don't get no funny ideas, you've already seen me topless and it ain't gonna happen again."

The boys fall into a chorus of laughter, this in turn made me grin. David however, merely smiled. I made the mistake of locking my eyes with his and in that moment, time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Again my stomach was trying to do backflips and I was finding it incredibly difficult to focus on anything other than the smirking blonde before me. His eyes pierced right through me. They were predatory, hungry, taunting and inviting me… making me feel weak in the knees… I hadn't really noticed but he was closer to me now.

I could feel a blush slowing creeping across my cheeks as we were now face to face. Every inch of me wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him so bad it hurt… but I was never one to be so bold as to kiss a guy I've just met… no matter how much I wanted too. I couldn't think…. And this is too much like when I hit that deranged state and destroy everything in my path. That sudden jolt of panic and every ounce of my will power was what I needed to break away from whatever just came over me. I pulled myself back and panted as a headache pounded across my temples. Everything was hazy and I forgot what I was doing…

"Hey are you ok? You zoned out for a second there…" asked David, now holding my shoulders.

"Hmm?" I shook my head before looking up and blinking a few times. "Yeah… yeah I do that sometimes.. sorry." I blushed again from embarrassment this time.

David let go of my shoulders and everything went back to normal. The headache and the dizziness were gone. I scanned my surroundings and noticed the other vampires looked a little surprised about something. At first David looked a tad disappointed but that quickly mirrored the expression the other boys are currently wearing. I don't even know what happened… one minute we were all laughing and the next I've got a splitting headache with another gap in my memory.

'Bloody black outs… I'd better get out of here before I make an even bigger fool of myself.'

"Well.. I don't wanna love ya and leave ya but I really should get going" I smiled sheepishly to everyone.

"What?" blurted Dwayne.

"Aw don't go yet girl!" pleaded Marko.

"We're just getting to know each other" Whined Paul with a pouty face.

"And the night is still young" added David, looking disappointed once more.

"I'm sure it is for you guys but it's late for me, and it's been a really long day…" I sighed as I slouched slightly to my left, shifting my hip to balance myself.

"But I need your help with something!" blurted Paul, surprising all of us as we waited for him to continue… "what's an iphone?"

A small smile crept across my lips as I tried to imagine what a mobile phone looked like back in 1987… I think it was actually a satellite phone attached to a briefcase looking thing back then. They must have seen or over heard a lot of strange and new gadgets and gizmo's these past few days. Sensing a way to make me stay a while longer the boys blasted me with a barrage with questions.

"What's an ipod?"

"What's a tablet?"

"What's wifi?"

"What's a MILF?"

"Is Led Zepland still around? What about The Doors or The Who?"

"Whoah whoah! Slow down! Not all at once!"

I held my hands up, motioning to the boys to slow down as I backed up a few steps until I hit the railing behind me. I was boxed in by the curious vampires. David was directly in front of me with Paul and Marko on my left, Dwayne on my right. No escape.

"Look. I'll help you navigate the 21st (I dunno whats happened here :P )

\- century and I will answer all of your questions but… it'll have to wait until tomorrow after the concert" I smiled reassuringly to them.

"Concert?" Paul's eyes lit up and I swear I could see stars in them.

"Yeah, I'm sure you guys have noticed there's an 80's festival on at the moment."

I waved my hand as I surveyed the fairgrounds, motioning towards the banners and decor ordaining the area. I shook my bag off my shoulder and started rummaging through it as I spoke again.

"I can't get out of it but… I'd like to see you guys again." I blushed as I pulled out a fist full of passes for the concert and held it out for all to see.

"Would you now?" Teased David, making my blush worse as I tried to ignore him.

"Why do you have so many passes?" Asked Dwayne, looking rather amused.

"Oh… um well I'm tied up with the organisers and… we've been given these to hand out as a promotional thing… Do you guys wanna go? It'll be nothing but 80's rock n' roll." I beamed my best smile and puppy dog eyes to all of them.

"Rock n' roll? Hell yeah!" Paul snatched a pass and studied it before pocketing it.

"Count me in! I'm dying to feel that vibe again" grinned Marko as he grabbed a pass.

"Sure why not, it's a great way to pick up some babes" Dwayne winked, earning a rolling of eyes from me, as he plucked a pass from my grip with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." David used that sly voice of his as he grabbed his pass, his gloved hand brushed against mine, sending a shiver up my spine.

This guy, is trouble. His eyes displayed a degree of cunning I've rarely seen in this day n' age. He's smarter than he looks and I'm pretty sure he's caught onto my little white lie. I tried to hide my face with my hair again… feeling his gaze to be a little too hot to handle right now. I couldn't help but notice the crowd was beginning to thin out a little. It must be later than I thought.

"Well, I'd hate to sound like a broken record but I really must be going now."

"Really?" asked Marko, I nod in response. "Well… where do you live?"

"Why do you wanna know that?"

"So we can at least give you a ride home." Suggested Paul with a shrug, motioning towards their bikes in the distance.

"Such gentlemen… always in the last place you look.. but on those death traps? Oh no thank you."

I squeezed between David and Paul, forcing everyone to turn around. Some cheeky bastard pinched my bum as I went past and from the look on his face, I'd have to say it was Paul. I gave him a glare before continuing.

"My legs are working just fine, I can get myself home and I don't need no handouts."

"It's dangerous to be walking around at night… even for someone such as yourself." Claimed David. I folded my arms and shook my head no.

"Well… maybe we can give you a ride to the concert tomorrow? So we can all go together?" Suggested Marko.

"Nah, that's ok. Thanks for the offer but I'll just meet you guys there." I smiled trying to sound nonchalant.

"What you don't trust us?" teased Dwayne. I grinned before giving him the 'are you serious' kinda look.

"Or maybe it's because you don't have a home for us to give you a ride to?" queried David rather darkly.

I glared at the smug prick who just called my bluff. His smirk deepened when he saw he called it true. I folded my arms as my face twisted up into a scowl.

"That's none of your business… and you're pushing your luck with me mate!"

"Mate?" David quirked an eyebrow, making the others snicker.

I rolled my eyes "It's Aussie for Pal."

"You're Australian?" He frowned a little.

"No shit Shirlock, you just noticed that did ya?"

"I thought you were English." Answered David in a deadpan voice.

We stood there glaring at each other, neither of us showing signs of backing down anytime soon. Our standoff was interrupted by an enthusiastic Marko.

"You could crash with us back at the cave?"

"Yeah! Then we get to interrogate you first thing tomorrow!" Chimed Paul.

I scoffed "Interrogate me? What am I your prisoner?"

They all shared a knowing look together before David spoke. "Our guest. The offer still stands, you can come with us if you want to."

He sounded a tad impatient and slightly agitated too. I guess he didn't like me challenging him or maybe it was the Sherlock quib about my origins… my arms were still folded but I had relaxed the scowl on my face.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

'No one is ever nice to me' I thought bitterly to myself.

"You saved our lived girl." answered Dwayne with a solemn voice.

"Not only that but you brought us back from the brink…" added Paul. I didn't think he was capable of looking so serious.

David spoke again, this time holding more authority in his voice. "This kind of debt is not so easily paid. For better or worse you're stuck with us." He extended his gloved hand towards me. "So come with us Elizabeth."

The way I figure, if they wanted to eat me they could've done that when I was unconscious. If they want to hunt me down or use me as a plaything… well I'm pretty damn good with this knife so I'm pretty sure I can get myself out of that if I need to. So… the way I see it, I've got two choices. Throw caution to the wind and go with them… or bail and try to find my own way.

… decisions decisions…


	9. Nerves of steel

I stared at David's hand as I weighed up my options. Really… where else was I gonna go? It bloody sucks to be out on your own. Also… it appears to me like I'm in the company of those who actually want me to stick around… and if this happens to get me killed, well I'll come back to haunt them for sure, but at least I'll go out with a bang… and a pleasant view.

'Oh get a grip on yourself girl, you're practically drooling here'

A small smile crept onto my face as I tilted my head ever so slightly to the right. I tentatively reached out and placed my hand gently into David's. He pulled me a little closer to him with that bloody smirk of his, locking his eyes with mine once more. There was mischief in those eyes… telling me I was in serious trouble… but we broke eye contact as the boys began to cat call and tease.

"Seriously you two, get a room" laughed Dwayne.

I was so embarrassed all I could say was "wha-?"

"Jealous?" Leered David.

"Hey! I wanted to give her a ride!" blurted Paul

"No way! With how you ride she'd fall off at the next turn!" teased Marko.

"Ha! With the way you ride she'd fall asleep before we get there!" Countered Paul.

I giggled at their banter as David rather sneakily lead me towards the bikes. We didn't get very far ahead of them before they caught up with us, harassing a late night straggler along the way. As we approached their bikes, I couldn't help but notice that the design appeared to be older than the models I've seen around these days. I took the time to give their assortment of black and burgundy chaises a closer look. They're not quite vintage… but they held a solid package with a kick start engine. I don't know enough about bikes to guess the make, model or year but I reckon they're… 80's… David's voice snapped me from my thoughts.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead." I was a tad surprised with the fact he asked for permission first.

"You seem pretty independent… why don't you have a place of your own?"

I laughed before answering "I'm flat out broke. Don't have a penny to my name."

He chuckled "What about all those wallets you've been lifting tonight?"

"That was you! You've been stalking me all night haven't you?" I was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Yeah that was us. You've got some light fingers there" He leaned a little closer to me "useful skill to have". The boys snickered before continuing their own conversation about a 'pin cushion kid'.

I blushed and pulled away slightly "Thanks… um. How did you know I was homeless?"

"By the way you're dressed."

"That could be just the style of the year y'know…" I teased, putting one hand on my hip and leaned to the side again.

He smirked again "I don't think so. You're still wearing the same jeans you had on earlier. They're torn, suggesting you didn't have scissors to cut them with. The soles of your boots are worn pretty thin, implying that you spend a lot of time on your feet and that you don't shop for new shoes every week…"

I cut him off "Not all women buy new things every chance they get. I could just be thrifty" Now it was my turn to smirk.

"True, but the fresh set of bruises all over your face…" He brushed my cheek where mother had slapped me pretty hard earlier "would suggest that you've had to fight for what little you have… one way or another." I didn't mean to, but I leaned a little into his hand. "What about your parents? Won't they help you?"

"Who do you think gave me the bruises?" I said bitterly. I saw a flash of anger in David's eyes as he tilted my chin to the left and right, getting a better look at the damage. "It was my mother. I haven't seen my father since I was four… or five… but I have no memory of him… not really." I said sadly.

"Your mother did this to you?" He looked shocked.

"Yep. But I got her back. Hence I don't have a place to live." I smiled.

"Does she still live?"

"For now."

"….. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being honest with me."

I nod to David and he finally let go of my chin. Maybe when I know him a little better I could share the details but for now…. I think I'll play this close to my chest. I don't know why but I do feel like I can trust him. Which is weird considering he's a vampire, but there you have it. I returned my attention to their bikes and decided to try and learn a little more about them. These are some seriously bitching bikes! My guess is that they're a motor cycle gang but… they don't have a gang patch like the drongo's back home.

'Hmm… the mistress said something about these guys holding Santa Carla by the throat almost thirty years ago… that would make it about… 1985.'

I smiled to David, whom was watching me like a hawk "Cool bikes you have there, are you guys a gang… are they from 1985?"

He smiled "Thanks, we were known as the Lost Boys and you're pretty close with the year but no, we got these babies back in 1987… they were brand new then."

I couldn't help but notice his tone… it sounded slightly sad. Knowing how annoying it is to be asked if you're ok when clearly, you'd rather not talk about it, I decided to pry a little more info on the bikes instead of his mood.

"How can they still be here? … I mean, wouldn't they have been scrapped by now?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Magic" was all he said as he mounted his bike and guided me to sit behind him. 'Cheeky'. I wrapped my arms around his torso and shifted my weight until I felt comfortable and secure… I also took the opportunity to feel that he had a solid build hidden under his trench coat… 'Nice' I bit my lip, kinda scalding myself for being a little flirty with a guy I've just met. He peeked over his shoulder and gave me a smouldering hot look as he squeezed my thigh… signalling that this was more than welcome.

He motioned with his head to the boys that it was time to go before he started his engine and took off like a bat outta hell. I squealed in surprise as I gripped him even tighter and buried my face into his back. This made him chuckle as he kicked it up another gear. He led his pack down a flight of stairs and made a sharp left turn, tearing up the beach as we entered warp speed. The boys laughed and cheered as we raced away from the boardwalk, heading for Hudson's Bluff.

Along the old dirt road, the boys raced each other. Pulling ahead then dropping back, cat calling and laughing the whole way. Paul raced ahead, pulling a wheelie on his rear tyre whilst giving the finger to Marko before correcting himself. Marko countered by jumping ahead a few feet and hitting the brakes hard, tilting his bike onto his front wheel, yelling something I couldn't quite make out back at Paul as we all passed him. Dwayne out did them all by standing on his seat and surfing his bike. I heard a very clear "Show off!" from somewhere to my left as Dwayne dropped back into a sitting position, just in time to dodge a low branch. I heard David call "Oooh close one" as Dwayne laughed and nod in agreement.

Now it was David's turn. He sped up and I held on for dear life as we weaved between low branched and fallen logs until the road became sand once more. The wind was burning my eyes so I had to squint to see what lie ahead. I could hear the waves crashing against the shore and I could see the light from the lighthouse getting closer and closer… the bluff was just up ahead… but David showed no signs of slowing down! Now I could see we were getting very close to the cliff face and if we didn't stop soon we we're going for a permanent dip into the ocean. I yelled "look out" right into his ear.

David suddenly braked and threw his bike into a sideways skid. The ledge came closer and closer and to me it didn't feel like we were slowing down fast enough. I buried my face into David's back once more and silently preyed to whoever was listening that we'd stop in time. I considered trying to throw the both of us off the bike but I've learned from experience that the combined weight of us and the bike would have a better chance of digging into the sand and stopping long before we would if we tumbled behind it. Had we been on asphalt it would have been a different story… in either scenario… we were so screwed.

We stopped right on the ledge. The front wheel of David's bike teetered over the edge, pushing a handful of sand into the drink below. Gravity threatened to send us over but David didn't even budge. Somehow he defied the laws of physics and anchored us to the spot. I tore my eyes away from our potential watery grave to see him staring at me with a half mad, half excited look in his eye. In that moment he looked bat shit insane… I like it! I mirrored his expression before warping my face into a scowl. I knew… somehow I knew… this was a deliberate attempt to scare me. A joke. But all David did, was give me an adrenaline rush. I tried to maintain my scowl but I could feel a grin creeping onto my face.

"Not. Funny."

This of course made him laugh… He shook his head at me as I joined in. I'm sure we sounded just as nuts as we looked. We made our way over to where the boys had congregated just a few feet away. They were grinning like Cheshire cats.

"I told you she wouldn't bail" declared David.

"Ha! I knew it! You owe us twenty bucks!" laughed Marko, looking to Paul then Dwayne.

Paul and Dwayne grudging fished out their wallets and paid up, muttering insults to David and Marko. "Wait… you guys were all in on this? When did you have that conversation?"

"That's for us to know and for you to forever guess!" Laughed Paul

I poked my tongue out at him "Remind me never to play poker with you guys!"

"Not even strip poker?" Grinned Marko, biting his nails.

I thought about it for a minute… "Noooo not even strip poker." I know I'd lose all my clothes and they'd be fully dressed. No fair.

With that to make us sound like a pack of hyenas, we made our way back to the cave. Home sweet home.


	10. Learning curve for us all.

The boys parked their bikes not far from the 'condemned' area of the outer cave, hidden from prying eyes. I was honestly surprised that a pack of blood thirsty vampires would even be concerned about theft. So naturally I had to ask. David helped me off his bike and guided me towards the walkway, behind everyone else but ahead of him. I was, more or less, boxed in. I couldn't help but smile at that.

"So, who in their right mind would wanna steal from you guys?"

"Anyone and everyone little sister" answered Dwayne as he set a branch alight and lead us towards the cave.

"To everyone else, we're just a bunch of newcomers" added Paul as he followed after Dwayne.

"So we gotta earn our reputation again" sighed Marko as he fell in step with the others.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Sooooo what about your own kind? Won't they be psyched about your return? I mean you can't be the only vampires in town…"

"No" stated David rather coldly.

I mimicked his tone "Why?"

"Because we were killed by a bunch of snot nosed amateur kids… way too embarrassing for our comeback to be welcomed. Not to mention vampires are territorial… another pack has probably made themselves at home by now."

"The Emmerson and Frog brothers?"

"And Star"

"Who's Star?"

"A traitor" He spat.

Oops. I hit a raw nerve with that one. I made a mental note of that. The people responsible for their demise are indeed the Emmerson and Frog brothers… but also someone named Star. Not wanting to piss him off any further I decided to drop it. I muttered "sorry" as we approached the cave entrance and was given the "it's ok" kinda smile.

We descended those dirty grey steps together while the boys joked about the 'pin cushion kid' they saw earlier this evening. Once inside, Paul made a B-line straight for the Goth's sounds system they left behind in their desperate bid to flee two nights ago. Dwayne lit a couple of oil drumbs with his burning branch before heading for one of the lounges surrounded with books, cushions and blankets. Marko wondered over to an alcove like area next to a broken stairway, toppled with junk and debris. David led me towards the pit of death. He kinda stared at it for a minute before wondering over to a bar like area, fishing out a plastic bottle of water. He handed it to me silently before sitting down into his wheel chair, lighting up another cigarette for himself.

I nodded my thanks to him for the water which he nodded in return. I sat on the ledge for the pit of death and watched him smoke in silence. I took the time to really study my surroundings. Over in the back of the cave was a warped iron elevator and there was no way in hell that thing still worked. Over to the left, close to where Dwayne was now reading quietly to himself, was a hint of what used to be a lobby area. Behind the layers of graffiti was a ghost of a mural, what it once held was anyone's guess now. Everything seemed to be on a slight angle…

"This place looks much better now that you guys have moved back in" I motioned towards the dangling CDs, shells and starfish.

"You should have seen this place in its prime" He smiled, "back in 1906 an earthquake hit San Fransisco… the ground opened up and this place took a header (he chopped one hand into the other) right into the crack."

"This place must have been built onto a fault line or something" I called in awe of the story.

"It was the San Andreas fault, in case you were wondering." He took another drag from his cigarette.

I heard the sound of a lighter click open and light up behind me. I looked to see Paul lighting up a cigarette for himself as he continued to study the sound system… judging by the smell though… that's not tobacco. I smiled and shook my head slightly as I took a sip of my water. I shrugged my bag off my shoulder and put it by my feet as I turned to see David staring at me again.

"Were you here for that?" I asked him.

"The earthquake?" I nod. "Why do you ask?"

"You said I should've seen this place in its prime. That would suggest you have… even if you didn't see this place fall into the crack, your story would imply you were around in 1906 and that you're much older than you look."

David leaned back slightly into his chair and chuckled quietly to himself. Before he could answer me, death metal screamed into the cave. All of us jumped at the sudden noise and covered our ears to muffle the sound. I looked over to see Paul franticly trying to find the off switch, his joint hanging out of the side of his mouth. I raced over to help him, still covering my ears when I got there. It was an ipod doc rigged to giant speakers… no wonder he was having so much trouble. Paul looked to me begging for help. I gave him a wink and pressed the pause button. There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone in the cave.

Paul sheepishly looked to everyone "sorry" before looking to me and mouthing "thank you"

I snickered and mouthed "you're welcome" before speaking up "lemme show you how this works so that won't happen again."

"Appreciate it" He smiled and offered me his joint.

I hesitated. I don't smoke but I didn't wanna offend the guy either. Instead I smiled "Thanks but if I take a drag of that, I'll blow my lungs into your face."

Paul laughed as he put the joint back into his mouth "more for me then. So… you in a band or something?"

I was alarmed by the sudden question. I really wanted that to be a surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"Not many folks risk life and limb to get a guitar back from gang of creepy ass Goths. From the way David tells it, you killed for it… and for survival." He grinned at that.

"The way David tells it?"

"Yeah, he was awake the whole time while the rest of us were lost in limbo… neither here nor there you know?"

"I think I can picture it… So how come only David was awake?"

He shrugged "beats me, probably because he's older. Anyway you didn't answer my question." He smiled playfully.

'Dammit!'

"….. yeah… tomorrow night is actually my first gig here. I'm a mercenary guitarist, not really part of any band per say. But my guitar was totalled in the crash. I was trying to swipe enough cash to buy a new one but… I'm not even close to my mark."

"Why don't you just swipe the guitar?"

"Too hard to swipe it from the shop… Security cameras are everywhere. And I'm still new in town, only been here for a week or so… still learning the delivery dates." I couldn't help but smile mischievously at that. "Don't tell anyone, s'pose to be a surprise… I might have to leave early just so I can finish my lifts and get the bloody guitar!"

He laughed and shook his head with a HUGE grin on his face. "I won't tell anyone" he winked as he said that. "C'mon, you'd better show me how this thing works."

I smiled as I began my lesson on the ins and outs of an ipod system. Paul picked up on it pretty quickly, completely trashing the saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'. We spent what felt like ages shuffling through the Gothic playlists until we came across some Metallica tracks. 'Enter Sandman' drifted throughout the cave at a much more tolerable volume. Paul grinned like a loon as he hugged me in thanks. I gave the good old "no worries" before making my way back to my bag. I was about to sit down on the ledge of the pit of death but Paul had jumped up and started pacing back and forth, bopping to the beat.

While I was detracted by his antics, I was suddenly pulled down from where I stood and landed on David's lap. I hadn't realised I was standing so close to him… or maybe he silently wheeled closer to me… I dunno but I didn't waste time trying to figure it out. I playfully hit him in the chest and giggled when he pouted. I rested my head on his shoulder and watched Paul pace back and forth. Now that I was finally sitting still, I could feel myself getting very sleepy. I fought to keep my eyes open but David kept drawing a circle on my hip, using his thumb, making me relax… lulling me to sleep.

"Where did the fountain go?" Paul asked.

I mumbled sleepily "… Maybe it's an unusual obje' dar't in some Goth's collection…"

"Bummer…" was the last thing I heard before passing out for the night.


	11. The concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter become much longer from this point onward.

I wake to feel nothing but an oppressive heat... and a slight crick in my neck. With my eyes still closed i try to stretch only to find that i can't. Slightly confused as to why i can't move i pay closer attention to the way i am positioned... My arms are folded over my chest, with my hands resting on my shoulders and my legs are crossed at the ankles. My clothes and my boots are still on 'Thank God!' and i can hear the sound of the ocean. I draw breath and taste the salt and moisture in the air... well i should still be in the cave... so why can't i move?

Slowly, I open my eyes and notice i am indeed still in the cave. I'm on the couch Dwayne was chilling out on last night and the source of oppressive heat was coming from a blanket. This blanket is also the reason as to why i can't move. I'm wrapped up so tight that i could officially say that i've been cocooned... actually with the way i've been positioned... I've been mummified from the neck down! I try my damndest to move my arms and legs but i really can't move!

'Ok... lets try something low key'

I start with wriggling my fingers, then my hands, and then my feet... i barely moved at all. In absolute frustration i thrashed my arms and legs with all the strength i could muster and still i couldn't move! Seriously the grip on my boots just seemed to make the blanket tighten around my legs. Absolutely peeved that i could not move and outraged that i had been pranked in my sleep, i threw all of my weight into the back of the couch and then propelled myself onto the floor.

I land with the classical "oomf!" and naturally my ribs sang something in Latin until i told them i was into metal. For a second i just laid there on my stomach before turning onto my back. I rolled about trying to loosen the blanket and wriggled as i did. Little by little i got some leg room but i couldn't help it... i started laughing. I was hit with the mental image of what this must look like and started to laugh even harder. Suddenly my laughter was accompanied with someone else's and i looked up.

Marko was laughing so hard he had to wipe away a tear. Once he caught his breath he asked me "What are you doing Liz?"

Without missing a beat i grin and say "Oh you know, just trying to roll on outta here... i'm not getting very far though."

"Want some help?" Grinning as he spoke with laughter in his eyes.

"Yeah cheers!" I tried not to sound too desperate but i probably failed. Epically failed. "How did you guys do this without me waking up?"

"I'm gonna guess fatigue." I rolled my eyes at that. He was probably right... I hate it when my body functions beyond my control.

With a shake of his head, Marko found the edge of the blanket (Tucked between my boots up to my neck so i'd never get loose) and literally rolled me out. I hopped on my feet too quickly and almost fall over with the vertigo. Marko steadied me and once i was right i gave him a 'bro' hug.

"Thanks Marko... what are you doing up?"

He shrugged before answering "Paranoid i guess".

"How come?" I was genuinely intrigued and tilted my head slightly to the side.

He shook his head as he spoke "It doesn't really matter, we've moved anyway. So, you going somewhere?"

His cryptic answer made me want to question him some more but it's obvious he didn't wanna talk about it. "Yeah, i gotta go set up for the concert and it's a long walk back into town."

"You could borrow my bike if you want" He smiled and fished out his keys.

I immediately smiled and waved my hands in the 'no thanks' kinda way as i spoke "Nah that's ok, i crashed the last one i rode and i wouldn't wanna do that to your bike. I'm better with cars anyway."

He pulled his keys back to his chest before putting them away and grabbed something from the inside of his jacket. "Oh before you go, Paul figured i'd be up and told me to give you this." He handed me a roll of money and i tried to give it back on reflex. Instead of taking it he held it in my hand, then closed it over. "He said you needed this but he wouldn't say what for.. just said it was a surprise." He waggled his eyebrows at that.

I stood there with my jaw agape before i could find my voice. "Where did you get this? It's too much!"

He waved his hand dismissively "From people who don't need it no more, it's yours."

"You mean from last nights meals?"

He bashfully nods "You really don't care about that?"

I grinned "Have you met me?" He laughed. "Thanks Marko... Please thank Paul for me too." I hugged him properly this time which he returned with a brotherly squeeze.

"So... what's this surprise?"

I turned my head slightly away from him and gave him a sly smile. "It wouldn't be a surprise if i told you now, would it?

"No fair! Paul knows!" He pouted and i nearly cracked... he just looked so adorable.

"Thats 'cause the cheeky bugger figured most of it out on his own. Why don't you squeeze him for info?"

He wailed "I tried! He won't spill the beans!"

"Then you're just gonna have ta wait till tonight won't ya?" I winked and folded my arms to signal that was final. "Oh now that i think of it, the stuff i gotta do is probably gonna take all day. I'll have ta meet you guys there... make sure you got your tickets"

"I'll remind everyone." He assured me. Granted i got the impression that even if they didn't have the tickets they'd be there. The thought made me smile.

"Try to get some more sleep Marko, you look like you could use it." I'm sure i looked a little concerned right now... He really did look waisted. Vampires and daytime don't mix.

He rubbed the back of his head and nods "Yeah i guess you're right. See you later."

"G'night mate."

He raised an eyebrow at that then shook his head with a smile. Obviously 'mate' has a different meaning for these guys and i really should be more careful with what i say. He wandered over to the back of the cave, close to where he loitered last night and pulled back some scrap metal up against the wall. It revealed a tunnel that one could easily walk through and he did just that. He closed the entrance once he was inside.

'Well, at least now i know where to find them if i need to... and he's just shown me an awful lot of trust with letting me know where they sleep!'

Almost giddy with the thought i grabbed my bag and sorta jogged up the stairs. Once outside i had to shield my eyes from the so-bright-I'd-blind-Icharis light that made me wish i had sunglasses. I'll add that to my list of things to get today. After my eyes adjusted I rolled up my sleeves, tightened the strap for my bag and started the long walk back into town.

It was afternoon by the time i'd made it back into town and by crickey was i knackared! Either today was hotter than yesterday or i've just noticed my ribs more... i dunno but i was sucking in air like it was going outta fashion. Normally i'm pretty fit. A wonderful side effect from walking and running everywhere i went but today... forget it! I passed several enthusiastic beach goer as i trudged along the shoreline.

My eyes couldn't help but wonder onto the bikini topped sunbathers, lounging about like sea lions on the golden sand. The green eyed monster reared its ugly head as i huffed at their perfect bronze skin and relaxed complections. Honestly i didn't care about getting a tan.. what annoyed me was the fact they can wear a bikini and i can't. That they can be comfortable with their bodies and i can't. People ALWAYS stare at the scars on my back and i find it near impossible to ignore them. Trying to avoid trouble with the cops for assault and battery or third degree murder i just... avoid those inevitable confrontations and don't wear bikinis.

I ascended the mini stairs the boys and i raced down last night and headed for the boardwalk markets. It didn't take me long to find a music shop. The moment i walked through the chiming doors i was hit with a refreshing wave of air conditioned heaven. I breathed a sigh of relief as i surveyed the store. The walls were lined with instruments for any field that suits one's fancy. There were maybe a handful of customers milling about the place, browsing through the iles of music sheets, cleaning equipment and spare parts. At the back of the store i spotted a guy dressed completely in black... I reminded myself that it didn't necessarily mean he was a Goth and wandered over to the electric guitars.

I tried my damndest not to look at anything other than the price. I knew i didn't have enough to replace my axe so i decided to look at style last... you know, to make this a little easier on myself. i swear i tried R-E-A-L-L-Y hard not to look... but i spotted a freaken DRACO! It was propped up high on a wicked display, showing it's mighty presence towering over the guitars unworthy to sit by its side. It's aggressive, almost bat like shape, screamed EPIC and i nearly swooned for it. With twitchy fingers i reached out but quickly pulled my hands away, knowing there was no way in hell i could afford it. Sure enough... i looked at the price... and silently cried.

With a heavy sigh i turned my back on the mighty Draco and looked for a guitar that was more in my price range. i came across a series of 'V's' and appreciated a crimson beacon. i imagined an anime sparkle of light shining from it's polished surface. Carefully i picked it up and rigged it to the large amplifier they had at the center of the store, set up specifically for test drives. With a pick i swipped earlier (don't look at me like that i was gonna pay for it!) I played a few notes. I tuned in until i was satisfied with its sound, then thrashed out the riff for Disturbed's "Immortalized".

Once i was finished i was greeted with a round of applause from the customers in the shop. Surprised and totally not expecting it, i smiled and took a theatrical bow. I unhooked my crimson beast, grabbed some spare strings, picks, and a mini amp with batteries. I chatted briefly with the clerk as she priced my items. She totally pulled off the 80's chick punk style, all the way to the purple/black eye shadow with HUGE hooped earrings. To my delight she was gonna be at the concert tonight and i so knew she was gonna recognize the guitar... Since she was paying such close attention to it now. I paid with most of the cash in my possession and headed for the exit... The guy dressed in black stared at me the entire time. I gave him my best feral smile and left.

Now that i had a guitar strapped to my back again, i felt more at ease. I juggled the change with my bag of goodies and the bag that wanted to constantly slip off my Shoulder. I stopped to gather myself. Once i was done i looked up and nearly yelled "No freaken way"... In fact i think i did yell it. The sign on the store read "Frog Bro's Comics." What where the odds? Then again... Every time i've wondered about aimlessly I've always ended up exactly where i need to be. I guess that's clairvoyance for ya. What i always thought was instinct. With a shrug and a shit load of curiosity i entered the store.

'Could this be the Frog brothers David mentioned?'

There were no chimes for this door but at least the shop was air conditioned too. Rows upon rows of comics lined the walls and iles, all in genre and alphabetical order. The checkout was located towards the back along the wall on my right. There was a woman in her mid twenties, early thirties leaning on the counter, flipping through a comic. She had short curly brown hair and was dressed in a simple singlet, gray cardigan, long skirt and boots. She looked up and immediately smiled and made her way over to me. She had a slight spring in her step, signaling she was the perky type.

Before she reached me, everything went into slow motion again. I watched her face morph into something that resembled a wolf with yellow eyes, pointed ears, sharp canines and a slight fuzz... or fur on her skin. My conclusion, she-wolf. Wow... Santa Carla really is a supernatural hotspot. That's probably why this is the murder capital of the world. Everything went back to normal and she continued to smile as she spoke.

"Good afternoon, can i help you with something?"

"Uh.. sure.. um.. I'm looking for some Punisher or Ghost Rider comics.." I stare at my feet, making it look like I'm embarrased to be here.

She smiled reassuringly "Oh we have plenty of those, don't worry hon there's no age limit here."

She took my arm and started leading me towards the 'Marvel' section. I wriggled my arm out of her grip.. i couldn't help it, i really don't like being touched...

'You didn't mind when David touched you, hell you even fall asleep on the vampires lap... and what about the free hugs you gave Marko hmm?' sneered my inner voice. I told her to shut her trap. The last thing i need is to start an argument with myself. That always ends with a broken mirror and cut up hands. Instead, i offered the perky woman a smile and continued the conversation.

"So... you don't look like a Frog brother."

She stiffened at that and began analyzing me carefully. I had to stop myself from laughing at her obvious tell. "What are you talking about?"

I grinned and motioned towards the door "The sign outside saids Frog Bro's Comics. I assumed it was a family name since no one would want to call themself a frog... right?"

She breathed an "Oh" before continuing. "I'm just minding the store for them. They're out location scouting for expanding their business along the California coast."

"Wow they must really trust you to mind the store for them for however long they've been gone."

"I helped them out with a bit of trouble a little a while ago and we've been friends for a while now" Her eyes seemed to sparkle a little at this, hinting something more than friendship. I stored that for later. "Here we are, Ghost Rider".

"Cool thanks!"

I pretended to browse through the adventures of Johnny Blaze against Mephistopheles as i thumbed the pittance of change i had in my pocket. To my dismay i wasn't sure if i had enough to pull off this ruse... especially since she was watching me like a hawk. Then i realized something. If she is a 'She-Wolf' then she might be able to smell blood on me. I reminded myself that i bathed twice since my last kill so i should be fine... i hope. Agitated that i couldn't tell just how much change i had, i fished it out of my pocket and counted openly. I didn't have enough...

"Awe maybe next time... unless i can make a recommendation for you. Yeah.. you look like you're into horror."

I immediately perked up at this. "Sure." I followed her until she stopped and handed me a comic. I almost died from suppressed laughter. "Destroy All Vampires?"

She grinned "Yup, the Frog bro's made this series, it's a promotional thing. Show your friends, get them to come and check out their store."

I flicked through the comic. I had to admit, these guys had some talent if their wrote, drew, bound and inked this all on their own. "That's actually pretty cool, how much is it?"

"It's free, like i said its a promotional thing." It looked like she was gonna say something else but thought better of it.

"That's some serious skills there, thanks. I'd like to meet them if i can. I'm dying to know how to make a comic, i can draw but i'm not that great at telling stories..."

She laughed "Oh don't worry, you can always find someone else to write. I dunno when they'll be back. They'll be gone for as long as it takes." she seemed to be quoting someone with that.

"Well i guess i'll just have to pop by another time then, maybe i'll get lucky."

"It'll be good to see you again" There was a LOT of weight in that statement, like she knew a LOT of people 'dissapeared' around here and it bothered her. Funny. "I'm Zoe by the way."

I smiled politely and shook her hand "I'm Elizabeth, it was nice to meet you Zoe. Thanks again for the freebie."

"Anytime."

With that I took my leave. At least now I know the Frog brothers are still around... David and the boys might find that interesting. My stomach reminded me i hadn't eaten yet so i wondered off to one of the many food stands strategically positioned close to the Fairgrounds and the beach itself. I used the last of my change to purchase a corn dog and a vanilla coke. I wandered over to what is quickly becoming my favorite spot on the boardwalk and realized this happens to be the same railing i was leaning against last night... with him.

With a roll of my eyes i leaned against the railing and sipped my coke... 'Seriously girl, you're losing your edge over a guy!'

"A very dark, handsome, dangerous, crazy and outright sexy guy to boot" I giggled to my outspoken confession, glad that none of them were around to hear it.

Then reality crept back into my sometimes too rational logic. Why would he be even interested in me? I'm psychotic, damaged, scarred and ugly. Vamps usually go for picture perfect chicks right? Well... i don't look like a Barbie doll... But he did flirt with me right? I didn't imagine that...

'He's a vampire, of course he flirted it's what they do. Lure dumb unsuspecting prey to their deaths..'

I was so distracted with my thoughts, trying to figure out if i was reading too much into the situation with my new found friends, that i didn't notice the sun was beginning to set. When I spotted the orange tint to the surrounding light I was hit with a jolt of panic. I quickly gathered up my stuff and sprinted to the outdoor concert zone, yelling "I'm late!"

The stage was larger than i expected. Roadies, gofers and technicians were busy fixing the lights, props and other neccesssry equipment whilst avoiding a rather heated argument between my mate Jimmy and the head huncho for 'Back Track'. Daniel. He's thinks he's hot shit and i'd LOVE to break it to him that he's not. Only original artists have a chance of being the King. To my dismay, he was already dressed for the show. His jet black hair was styled like Alice Coopers, darkening his brown eyes. He was dressed head to toe in black leather with a 'Trash' T-shirt and buckled boots. A stark contrast to Jimmy's light brown flat top hair with crystal blue eyes, dressed in jeans and plain white singlet.

"Where the hell is she!? You said she was reliable!" Daniel pointed his finger right into Jimmy's chest, narrowly missing his dog tags... something he really shouldn't do.

Unfazed, Jimmy kept his voice even "Look i know her from back home, she'll be here." He looked past Daniel and spotted me. "Speak of the Devil."

"Oh the Devil's got nothing on me Jimmy, you know that." I gave a wink.

"It's about fucking time you got here! We're on in two hours and we haven't even done a sound check yet!" Daniel folded his arms and gave me one hell of a glare.

"Sorry, had to get a new guitar and i had to walk, got no ride." I shrugged nonchalantly, Daniel did not intimidate me and that seemed to piss him off even more.

"Wait you were serious about that? Hell I thought you were pulling my leg!" Jimmy took a step back and looked at me like i grew a second head.

I snickered "mate since when have I BS'ed about my guitar?"

"Point taken."

"Whatever, dump your crap, get dressed and move your ass. We gotta get the sound check done before the crowd shows up!" With that he stormed off.

I looked at Jimmy for a second "What's up his arse?"

"Oh he's just being a bloody wanka, can't handle life on the go."

"Then he shouldn't be in a band on the road."

"You're preaching to the choir love... Were you really in an accident?"

"Yup" lifted my shirt just enough to show the bruises.

"Fucking hell! What happened?"

Dropped my shirt as i spoke. "I tried to hug a tree, it didn't hug me back though" wiped away a fake tear.

Shook his head "Trust you to joke about that. You should see a doctor..."

"Can't afford it mate. It's not too serious, i wouldn't be able to walk if it was."

"Yeah righto... You'd better get ready before Danny boy chucks another fit."

"Ha! I'll get the washing if he does."

Jimmy laughed as i headed for the back stage. It was just one giant room filled with bags belonging to the other band members, chairs and a huge mirror supporting a counter for make-up and whatnot. A tiny fan sat in the corner of the room, blowing hot air at a sluggish pace. Melony was in here, fixing her wild red hair. She acknowledged me with a smile and continued with her task. She had dressed in a wispy if not slightly raggy shirt and long skirt, making me think of Awa from Lordi's Baby's For Breakfast album. I smiled back before jumping behind the makeshift curtain to get changed.

I re-emerged dressed in a bitchin black leather jacket with spikes jutting out along my shoulders and forearms, a tight crimson singlet that showed a half decent cleevage, black leather pants and... you guessed it... black combat boots. I also had fingerless biker gloves, worn around the knuckles from over use. I sat at the large ass mirror and began styling my hair, chatting with Melony about the playlist for tonight. Apparently... we had a new track added to the list at the last minute...

A sound check and heated argument later, i stood behind the open outdoor stage with my fellow band members. Queens "we will rock you" did little to drown out the chattering crowd, sending my nerves absolutely bonkers. I always get nervous before a show. My 'rock God' hair moved gently in the breeze as i took deep breaths, trying to calm down. Melony gave me an apologetic look while Daniel stood his ground. The new last minute track was the cause of the argument. Apparently one of their "things" is to do a request for their fans. It was on their Facebook page or something. Anyway, had I NOT been unconscious I would have known about the new tune and had time to practice...

I called bull shit.

'You don't add a new track at the last fucking minute! Two days is NOT long enough to rehearse it!'

They so did this deliberately. If they didn't want me to fill in for the last guy that walked, they shouldn't have hired me. What's worse is that the new track isn't even from the 80's! AND it was a fucking complicated riff! The other band members seemed to back up Daniel with his opinion and Melony was too dependent on her job security to voice her opinion... so i was on my own. Thankfully she took pity on me and lent me her ipod. I spent the last thirty minutes listening to THAT track on continuous repeat, practicing the chords as I did.

The lights went out. The crowd cheered in anticipation. My stomach hit the floor. We quickly jumped onto the stage and stood at out allocated positions. My part of the stage was on the left. Daniel, being the singer stood center stage. Behind him and I stood Richard on secondary guitar and back up vocals. To our right was Melony on her keyboard. In front of her was Ethan on base. He was so tall and lanky he had to make sure he stayed a good distance behind Daniel just so he wouldn't overshadow the guy. Last but not least was Matthew on the drums. He was kinda short but he had an awesome muscle tone that he was not afraid to show off as he hit them drums all night long.

We all paid homage to a King or a band of rock n roll. Daniel was mimicking Alice Cooper, Matt belonged to Kiss, Ethan was Bon Jovi, Richard was from Iron Maiden, Melony was... well I wasn't sure who she was paying homage to but like I said earlier she reminded me of Awa from Lordi, and I was a cross between The Coop and David Bowie... I didn't have a choice... i was limited by my wardrobe.

My hands were shaking. I gripped my guitar tightly, trying to steady myself. It didn't help that i was lead guitar... and it definitely didn't help that i had to start the damn show! Oh God! I've never been THIS nervous before... what the hell is wrong with me? It's the new track... and a certain group of vampires that'll be somewhere in the audience that i desperately wanna impress... I dunno what's worse... The possibility that they're there or not there at all...

'You're not gonna impress a half mad jester if you don't man up and play already!'

I flexed my fingers. Adjusted my grip. And started the riff for 'Welcome To the Jungle'. The lights flicked, hinting to the audience where we were positioned. Standing perfectly still. The lights came on properly when Daniel started Axel Rose's scream. It was so bright i couldn't see the audience. 'Bugger'. I was gonna have to wait until after the show to see if David, Marko, Dwayne or Paul made it here or not. I didn't let myself move until the song blasted into full force... then i didn't stop until the song ended.

We played: Have A Good Time Tonight, Looks That Kill, You Give Love A Bad Name, Walk this Way, Rock You Like A Hurricane, Eye Of The Tiger, Teenage Frankenstein... pretty much if the song was legendary or on Guitar Hero, we played it. Through the whole performance I either paced back and forth, stomped to the beat, headbanged, squat and leaned back with one leg outstretched during a guitar solo or snarled aggressively at the crowd I couldn't see. Now came the hard part... With great confidence, Daniel announced to the crowd that the song most requested by their fans was "Through The Fire And Flames" By Dragonforce. He congratulated the fans that voted and dedicated the song to them.

I groaned. There was no way in hell i could get through this without making a few mistakes... and that stung my pride more than anyone could know. By the end of the song i was covered with a lather of sweat, the loose and once feather like strands of my hair clung to my face, I was out of breath, my fingers had locked and my forearms were cramping so hard they completely distracted me from my ribs. The crowd cheered and granted us a thunderous applause. Either they didn't hear the gazillion mistakes i made or they didn't care. I wasn't gonna argue with them. I took my bow with my fellow band members and walked off stage with me head held high.


	12. The beach party

As soon as i got off that stage i made a b-line for my gear. Naturally the rest of the band had followed suit to clean themselves up and get ready to leave. I ignored their cheers of excitement and joy for a job well done. Honestly, i did not care. I was still fuming mad about that last minute track "Through the fire and flames"... How could i not? My arms were still cramping for crying out loud! I sat down with a huff and tried to get the 'David Bowie' makeup off my eyes. Melany sat down next to me and started brushing out her now nappy hair.

"You've got some crazy good skills hon. You did real good" She beamed.

"Bullshit! You call THAT skills? Get your ears checked Mel!"

I turned my head and glared right at Daniel. The smug prick had the audacity to insult me to my face... That gets people hurt. I stood, pushing my chair back with my leg and approached him. Just as i was about to punch him in the jaw, Jimmy jumped in holding several envelopes, out of breath and super sweaty.

He waved the envelopes above his head as he spoke "Who wants to get paid!?"

Jimmy looked at me, then Daniel, then me again. He ain't dumb. He knew he just stopped a major smack down. The band members collectively said "me" and grabbed their pay. Jimmy handed me my envelope, asking me if i was ok with his eyes.

I smiled and accepted the payment. He deliberately grabbed my gear and walked outside, knowing damn well I'd follow him. As I left I deliberately brushed against Daniel's bag... My quick fingers found something interesting. Once outside he gave me my stuff back.

"I've always said you've got a gift Jimmy." I smiled as I juggled my stuff about.

"Yeah, peace keeper all the way... I know you're not gonna listen but i gotta say it anyway. You can't hit every person you don't like. These kinda people press charges."

"I know.. I know." I sighed before continuing. "Honestly I liked it better in the underworld."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear you say that. We worked WAY too hard to get out of that shit. Do you really wanna go back to boosting cars, dodging cops, living day by day?"

"Mate, i never stopped living day by day... and to be perfectly honest, I kind miss the rush." He gave that look again "BUT I love playing this too much to just throw it all away. So chillax."

He sighed. "So did you wanna ditch these guys?"

"Fuck yeah. Find someone else... please."

"I'm on it. Take care of yourself ok?"

"Yeah you too, laters."

Jimmy punched my arm which i returned before parting ways. He's really done well for himself. He set up shop as my manager, then got himself more clients. His ability to handle other people's bullshit and multitask organization, business and finance has really paid off. Now i had an interesting task... How was i gonna find the boys in this crowd? Are they even here? How am i gonna carry all this stuff back to the cave?

'Hmm maybe i should just start walking back to the cave and meet up with the guys later...'

With that thought fresh in my mind, i started walking away from the stage. I was startled by a pair of hands grabbing my shoulders, bearing the weight of whoever just semi jumped on my back, making me stumble forward from the unexpected weight.

"Hey! There you are! We've been looking ALL OVER for you!"

I turned around to see an over excited Marko, now biting his nails with a mischievous glint in his eye. He looked like he was about ready to blast off into hyperspace. I just couldn't be mad at him.

"Shit Marko! You scared me man." I breathed out a laugh then lightly kicked his butt for the trouble.

Hopped with the hit "Sorry" He grinned "Hey i thought it was suppose to be impossible to sneak up on a clairvoyant". He teased as he wiped off invisible dust from his shoulder.

"Psychics dude... s'pose to be impossible to sneak up on psychics."

"Whatever" He grabbed my arm and started steering me in a different direction "I can't freaken believe you were just on stage girl! You kicked ass! So THAT was the big secret!"

"Surprise! and thanks but i totally screwed up that last song..."

Marko said something but i didn't quite hear him. Ahead of us were Paul, Dwayne and David... and four girls i hadn't seen before. Two of the girls are blonde, one was tall wearing a simple blue dress that was short and revealed one hell of a cleavage. The other was wearing a singlet with short shorts. One was a brunette, she wore black bikini with a long, beach-pattern skirt that was tied on her hip, showing one of her legs. And last but not least had black hair, she wore a skimpy punk outfit. All of them were beautiful.

Dwayne wasn't kidding when he said that concerts were a great way to get girls. The green eyed monster reared its ugly head for the second time today... but not for the bikini chick. It was the tall blonde hanging off of David's arm that had my blood boiling.

'son-of-a-bitch!'

'Told ya so' snided my inner self. 'Ever read that book: He's just not into you?'

'Shut. up. Ok so we flirted big deal. He's a vampire and probably has a flirty personality or something, to be expected. It don't mean nothing. We're still friends and that's enough. Shit i don't even know the guy so get a grip already.'

Deciding that friendship was more than enough and that it's all good, I pulled on a big genuine smile. Honestly I'm just glad they came to the show. Marko half guided, half dragged me to the group who were still chatting away when they looked up and saw me. Bikini top frowned until Marko let go of my arm. I guess she's his date for tonight.

"There she is!" Beamed Paul with the other blonde standing next to him.

"Hey guys!" I grinned as i spoke.

"You kicked ASS tonight girl! That was awesome!"

"Thanks Paul and thanks for showing up guys" I smiled sweetly.

"We said we would" Chimed Marko.

"Oh my God! You didn't tell us you knew the guitarist!" Squealed the black haired punk.

"That's because she didn't tell us she was playing tonight, we were just as surprised as you are now." Explained David, but his tone was way too cool. His signature know-it-all smirk was plastered on his face.

"You don't look surprised Davey" I teased, making the tall blonde tighten her hold on his arm. God i wanted to laugh. I nearly said 'you staked your claim already' but didn't.

David merely smiled but something dark flashed in his eyes. It sent a jolt of excitement through my entire system... the kinda rush i get when I... kill. It made me grin in return. I turned my attention to Paul and tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for an explanation.

"What?" He smiled sheepishly.

"How did he know?"

"Ask him!"

"I'm asking you. You're the only one who knew what i was up to."

"... He ambushed me. Twisted my ear and everything.. it really hurt."

That earned a chorus of laughter from everyone, including their dates. I laughed too, feeling terrible for Paul. I walked over and rubbed his back while he pretended to cry. Earning another frown from another chick - punk chick. I grinned, finding this all too funny. Do these girls really think they can intimidate me? HA!

I spoke in a lovey dovey voice "Awe i know what'll make you feel better" Fluttering my eyelashes.

"Oh?" Paul immediately perked up. His date gave me daggers.

I fished out what my light fingers swiped from Daniel's bag earlier. "Here you go, guaranteed to dull any ache." I winked as i handed Paul a bag of weed.

"You're the best Lizzy!" He snatched the bag and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

Quick or not it made me blush "Steady on Paul." I laughed as i tried to hide behind my hair again.

Paul grinned triumphantly while Dwayne's date with the short shorts spoke up. "So like, there's this party we're going to and i was wondering if you'd like to come?"

Bikini girl chimed in "Yeah everyone would totally loose their shit you came. Please say you'll come. Lizzy?"

"Where is it?" I didn't like that she knew my name but... eh what can you do?

"On the beach, it's a bon fire party." Answered the blonde on David's arm.

"Hmm... i dunno, sand is such a pain in the arse... don't really mix with guitars y'know?"

"I can drop your gear off before we go" Offered Dwayne. He'd been silent until now so i almost flinched when he spoke. His date looked at him questioningly.

"Well..." I hesitated. Although i was finding this funny... seeing that blonde on David's arm was pissing me off.

David chuckled darkly. "Don't tell me you're too tired to party. I thought musicians were suppose to play all day, party all night and still have the energy to trash the hotel room."

That was a challenge if ever i heard one. But what sealed the deal, was what his date said. "Or don't you have what it takes?"

'That bitch is gonna die tonight.' I took a step towards her and looked her right in the eye. "Honey. I'm Australian. Not only does that mean i can party hard and do crazy shit while sober... but I can drink YOU under the table anytime."

"You're on mate." Challenge accepted.

"Ugh it sounds terrible when you Yanks say mate. No offense."

"None taken." Again! Dwayne ninja'd me!

This time i did jump. He already had my bags and was waiting patiently for me to give him my guitar. I shrugged it off my shoulder, looked at it like it was the holy grail, then handed it to Dwayne. He held it like it was Excalibur and bowed as he took a step back, earning a giggle from me. With a smile he slung it over his shoulder and headed for his bike. His date close behind. I watched them leave then turned my attention to the group.

"So, do we need to make a booze run?"

"Nah we're well supplied already." Said the bikini top.

"Ok cool. Um well it's nice to meet you. I'm Elizabeth Rider, I take it you already know the guys."

The boys laughed as bikini top blushed "Oh my God, my manners. I'm Hayley. That's Catherine" she points to the blonde on David's arm. Then to the punk with Paul "That's Felicity."

"Felice for short" She shook my hand.

"And who's the girl who left with Dwayne?"

Catherine spoke up "Shannon."

We chatted about random things until Dwayne and his date returned. Then we walked as a rowdy group to the beach. I could see the fire in the distance with only a couple of people there. 'hmm small party until now'. This made me suspicious. This could be a setup for us to be robbed, whacked by another gang, or literally just chicks looking for a date. By the way they were all over the guys made me think the latter but i stayed on my guard.

Once at the party site i could see three people, two guys one girl. Two of them were obviously a couple since they were too busy making out to notice our approach while the lone guy sipped on his beer... ignoring them as he checked his phone. They had a small ipod stereo that played Rhianna's "sweet dreams", a decent amount of beer, beach towels, marshmallows and a few other bits and pieces scattered about the place.

The loner looked up and immediately jumped to his feet. He greeted his friends, alerting the couple that they now had an audience and stopped for proper introductions. The loner in a band T-shirt and jeans was Steven, the couple that wore nothing but their bathers were Julie and Nick. Beer was distributed amongst us as we sat around the bonfire. Catherine and i were already at it, trying to outdo each other with how quickly we could drink our beer. The boys cheered for me while Catherine's friends cheered for her.

I threw the drinks back as a practiced pace. Catherine threw hers back too quickly, always gasping for breath by the time she was done. On our fourth drink she choked and had to stop. Luckily she managed not to throw up and i quite easily finished my beer, winning the challenge. I jumped up and threw both my hands in the air, giving the metal symbol as I cheered in victory. Cheers and "bravo's" came from the boys and i actually got congratulations from Steven. I think he might've been hitting on me but that could be the booze talking.

I sat down before I fall down. Normally four beers wouldn't be a problem for me but drinking four that quickly on an empty stomach was a very bad idea. My head was spinning but i put on a smug smile when i saw that Catherine had to be held up by David. A bottle of water suddenly appeared under my nose. I took it gladly and tried to drink and say "thanks" at the same time. Steven, who handed it to me, now sat a little closer and unless my eyes deceived me, anger flashed across David's face.

"Where did you learn to drink like that?" Asked Steven.

"Back home."

"And where's home?"

"Fremantle."

"Where's that?" Asked Felice

"Harbor town in Perth, it's like a mini city i guess."

"Where's Perth?" Asked Shannon.

"Western Australia." Answered Dwayne. I gave him the 'I'm impressed' look, he smiled and nodded.

"Like Santa Carla?" Asked Paul.

"Exactly! That's why I love it here! It's so much like home. Well that and awesome company." I smiled as i popped a marshmallow in my mouth. Yes it's a bad mix but my stomach rocks!

I earned a collective "aww" from the girls in the group and a couple of eye rolling and chuckle from the boys. I blushed and hid my face. 'Fuck off, I'm drunk.'

"So how did you guys meet?" Queried Catherine now that she's regained some composure. She whispered something in David's ear that made him smile and pull her closer to him.

I dunno if it was the booze in my system or anger or a toxic mix of both but i decided to tell the truth. "I accidentally brought them back from the dead when i killed a guy." A couple of them spat their drinks. I pointed to my neck and continued. "I stabbed him right here before he could stab me. His blood went everywhere, it was awesome!"

Silence fall over the group until the boys burst into laughter. i joined in. God the look on their faces was priceless.

Looking less than amused Nick scolded us. "You have a really sick sense of humour you know that!?"

"Oh but that's not the best part!" Chimed Paul with a dark grin.

"Hell no, the best part was what happened next." Added Marko, now biting his lip.

Steven looked at everyone, thinking this was just a big joke and smiled. "What's the best part?"

"This" was all David said before tearing a chunk out of Catherine's neck. Within a flash all four of them had morphed into their vampiric forms and began feeding on their dates. Steven, Nick and Julie screamed as they tried to scramble over each other to flee. Much to my surprise, Steven had grabbed my arm and dragged me up with him. I let him drag me a couple of steps before deliberately tripping us over.

Nick and Julie didn't get very far. They were cut down, quite literally, by Paul and Marko. their razor sharp claws carved deep gashes along their torso's. Blood splattered everywhere as the party group was torn limb from limb. Their bodies were thrown into the bonfire, creating the putrid smell of burning flesh. The boys were completely covered in blood. They savoured the rush from the kill and licked any stray blood greedily from their fingers. Only Steven and I remained.

Steven was trying to crawl away but was stopped by Dwayne. He lifted Steven by the scruff of his neck as if he weighed nothing and dropped him in front of David. His amber eyes gleamed menacingly at the young man trembling at his feet. I was still sitting in the sand. I was shrugging off my now blood soaked jacket. Paul had walked over to me and offered his hand. He smiled when i took it and he lead me towards everyone else.

David looked at me for a moment before asking "do you still have your knife?"

I stooped down and fished it out of the side of my boot. "Yup."

"Kill him."

"No! No please don't kill me!" Begged Steven until he was clipped on the back of the head my Marko.

I quirked an eyebrow "Why? He's done me no harm."

"You need a reason?" Asked Marko, still in his vampire form.

I thought about that. "Well... usually. Why do you guys want me to kill him?"

"We want to see if you can." Answered Dwayne matter of factly.

"C'mon Elizabeth." Breathed David in my ear. How he moved so quickly and quietly was beyond me... but that sent a shiver to all the right places. "Show us what you've got."

A wicked smile crept on my face. These guys are a baaaaaad influence on me. They're encouraging my killer instinct, making me feel comfortable with being a monster. I found I didn't want to resist. i honestly couldn't think of a good reason not to kill this guy. Not with David looking at me like that. Waiting expectantly. wanting me to do the deed... I'd hate to disappoint him. I opened my knife and kneeled down in front of Steven.

"P-please... Please d-don't do this!" Begged Steven.

"Lizzy! Lizzy! Lizzy!" The boys continued to chant their pet name for me. It's the one time I don't mind being called "Lizzy". I brought the knife up to Steven's throat. he tried to pull away but he was being held in place by Dwayne and Marko. I slowly pulled it across his throat and watched his face contort with pain and horror. He let out a pain filled wail as his blood splattered across my face. The boys cheered and let his body drop into the sand.

The adrenaline had already dispelled the effects of the alcohol in my system. I felt one hell of a rush that made me a little giddy. I'm helped to my feet and find myself looking into David's ice blue eyes. His face had returned to normal and he was grinning ear to ear. I grinned back, I could feel my gray eyes dancing from the high. Suddenly, I'm pulled into a tight embrace as David's lips crashed against mine.

'HOLY FUCKING SHIT!'

I was so surprise i didn't move. My eyes slammed shut on reflex. He moved, deepening the kiss and I soon found myself kissing him back. He smiled as he moved his hand and gripped my hair. He gave it a sharp tug, making me gasp from the sting. He used that to his advantage and slipped his tongue inside my mouth. He explored greedily, making me weak in the knee as i tried to match his passion.

The kiss ended too soon for either of us but i needed to breath. He trailed his tongue across my cheek, licking up the blood that hadn't had a chance to dry yet. He pulled back and smiled darkly. I was blushing so hard and my heart was pounding so fast I thought I was gonna die. I'd NEVER been kissed like that before! It didn't help that the others were wolf whistling and cat calling us.

So I turned around and smirked mischievously "Jealous?"


	13. Battle of Wills - Part 1

"Hell yeah I'm jealous! Where's mine?"

Despite being covered in blood and still battle crazed, Paul managed to pull off an adorable pout... that or I'm just freaken crazy and find disturbing things adorable... I shook my head and grinned as i raised a single finger and moved it left to right as i spoke.

"Nah uh Paul. Hugs and maybe. MAYBE a peck on the cheek. Those kinda kisses are for David only."

"Lucky bastard." Mumbled Paul as he lofted my victim into the bonfire, earning a snicker from the others.

A pair of gloved hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me against a firm chest, undoubtedly staining my crimson singlet with blood. David spoke softly yet demandingly in my ear, making me shiver from just how suave this s.o.b really was.

"Damn straight they're for me and me alone. If i catch you with anyone else..." He grazed his teeth along my jugular, then whispered " I'll tear their fucking throat out."

'How can he make a threat sound so damn sexy!? Even though there is no way in hell I'd be with anyone else anyway... but... who does he think he is telling ME what to do?'

So I turned myself around within his embrace to look him in the eye. My own grey eyes showing defiance as i spoke "Lets get one this straight David, I ain't your bitch". I leaned closer, having to tilt my head slightly to reach his ear and whispered. "I'm not gonna jump no matter how loud you bark."

He seemed completely unfazed by my comment, as though he knew something I did not. He smiled rather darkly as he cupped my face with one hand "Oh I don't just bark darling. I bite."

To make his point his eyes flashed with Amber and red as his incisors and canines grew longer, making him look even more dangerous than he already did. Unfortunately for him, this did not intimidate me. If anything it caused an odd coil of heat to form within my stomach that spread between my thighs. Trying not to let my rather twisted libido dictate my actions, I smiled with pure mischief written all over my face.

"I'll have to remember that."

I grabbed the hem of his coat and pulled him even closer to me, closing the limited space between us. I pressed my already slightly swollen lips against his, showing him I am not afraid. He stood still for a moment, still holding my face with one hand with the other supporting the small of my back. Deciding to be bold (Now that I know he's into me) I slithered my free hand to grip the tails of his mullet as I deepened the kiss.

This seem to snap him out of his day dream and he took control, dominating the kiss again. He lightly bit my lower lip, making me gasp with an adrenaline rush. He took advantage again but this time I was not caught off guard. As his tongue invaded my mouth he clashed with my own tongue. We were locked in a heated battle for dominance, tasting each other... I couldn't help but moan into his passion... I felt like I was on fire!

I could feel him smirk as we continued our sensual battle of wills and for that... I decided to teach him a lesson. What better way to prove to an all powerful vampire that I can keep my whits about me? No matter how much he was driving me wild. I ended the kiss by pulling away, trapping his lip between my teeth, smirking cruelly into his heated eyes. I bit down hard enough to make it sting but not break the skin as my light fingers found their target. Honestly, i would have been satisfied with his lighter... but what I found was even better.

His keys.

I released his lip and moved to take a step back, only to find I couldn't. David's eyes where still smouldering as they locked with mine. He spoke with a deep, foreboding, husky voice that promised both pleasure and pain.

"You like playing with fire don't you?"

Despite my successful lift I was finding it incredibly difficult not to jump him and screw his brains out, right here, right now. All of my insecurity and timidness has flown out the window. To hell with having an audience. Then to make it worse, my head became foggy again, amplifying the desire raging within. It was hard but i maintained my focus and smirked seductively as i spoke.

"I always was a bit of a pyro maniac."

Our staring match was interrupted by a strangled cough, as though whoever coughed was trying very hard not to, causing the both of us to look up and see a grinning Paul holding up Steven's phone. This distraction was enough to lift the fog from my mind as David released his hold on me. After a few blinks I could see the light was on and winking away, telling me that the cheeky bugger was recording us.

"Don't stop on my account, that was some juicy stuff." Paul looked up from the screen and gave us a wink.

I turned fifty shades of crimson as i gave him the finger "Pervert".

David shot a glare at Paul that made his face fall "Shut it off."

"Right. right. sorry." He fumbled with the phone "crap how do you stop it?"

I took the phone from his hand and stopped the recording. Then i back tracked a little and deleted it. "Oops, here you go."

Paul sheepishly retrieved the phone from my outstretched hand and tried to subtly slink back towards Dwayne and Marko... Who were currently falling over each other laughing. I glanced over my shoulder to see David giving him death glares. Paul offered a smile that quickly dropped as he turned tail and ran. David whooshed past me in a blur and caught Paul in a headlock. Paul helplessly flailed about, trying to get out of David's grip as he gave him one hell of a noogy.

Eventually Paul got out of his grip and they continued to roughhouse, cat calling and teasing each other as they somehow dragged Marko into the fray. I couldn't help but smile at their antics. Honestly I was glad to see David actually join in with such things. I was beginning to think he was the dark and broody type one hundred percent of the time. Now i see that it was only ninety percent.

I could sense someone was behind me so i turned to see Dwayne flicking through a comic of all things. Upon closer inspection I could see it was the "Destroy all Vampires" comic I picked up earlier today. He looked up and gave me a questioning gaze.

"Interesting choice of literature."

"Oh yeah about that, I swung by the Frog bro's comic book store this afternoon and I was given that for free."

He looked distracted for a minute then suddenly David, Marko and Paul came over. That's when i noticed that everyone was rather clean and tidy again. I looked around as they all seemed to be staring at me with a VERY serious if not a murderous look in their eyes."

"Were they there?" Asked Dwayne.

"No."

"What where you doing there in the first place?" Demanded David.

'Boy does he look mad... hurt.. betrayed even... Why?'

I grew agitated with the unspoken accusation of fraternising with the enemy. It seemed my clairvoyance was working in overdrive again. I could tell they suspected me of foul play... That got me mad.

"Now back up a step and listen you bunch of wankers. I went over there to see if the Frog brother's were in town. The reason why is simple. I figured you would want revenge after all these years so I thought I would be nice and do some reconnaissance for you! If this is the thanks I get for taking initiative and wanting to surprise you then fuck you!"

I stormed off towards the water, shoving past Marko and Dwayne, muttering a string of insults under my breath as i reached the shore. I aggressively splashed water on my arms, chest and face, washing off the blood now caked to my skin.

'Well that went south fast. I knew it would... It always does. Such a shame, everything was going so well... Fuck 'em! I don't walk on egg shells for anyone!'

In my frustration I had peeled off my singlet and smacked it into the water. I stooped low and proceeded to scrub the blood out. Cold running water works best when the blood is fresh but this will do. I'll probably catch a cold when I look for a new place to crash for the night. Just perfect. I was already shivering from the cold breeze on my bare wet skin and I was becoming paranoid about the scars on my back.

I was so lost in my silent rant that i didn't notice David standing beside me. I felt something warm and heavy being draped over my shoulders and flinched at the sudden contact. My head whipped to the side quickly to see David looking me right in the eye as he placed his coat on my shoulders. His hands lingered on them until i gave him my own death glare. He removed his hands but never broke eye contact.

"... We have trust issues..." He continued in a sombre voice "We trusted our sire's plan, lowered our guard... That got us all killed..."

My anger faded a little. This wasn't an apology. It was an explanation. Albeit a vague one... It seems David is NOT in the habit of apologizing to anyone. I can respect that... And i can definitely understand erring on the side of caution... we don't know each other very well after all.

I sighed "I can't fault you for that... I understand." I stared at him for a moment before continuing. "I can leave if you want, it's no big deal."

He answered quickly "No." He grabbed my arm tightly but not to the point where it hurt. "... unless you want to leave. Like I said, for better or worse you're stuck with us."

"I don't wanna cause friction between you and your friends. You guys are really close, like a family and I don't wanna mess that up for you."

"Families fight, especially when they grow."

I stood stock still, kinda in shock... I must be reading too much into this... "Is... That an offer to stay with you guys? Even after I just snapped at you all?"

"Awe isn't she sweet?" Cooed Marko as he popped outta nowhere. I scrambled to pull on David's coat to keep myself decent. Thank God i was wearing a bra.

"We just pissed you off and now you're worried about pissing us off? That's funny." Chimed Paul, grinning like he usually did.

"Well you guys are vampires after all" I gave a crooked smile before continuing "I wouldn't stand much of a chance if we fought over something."

"I thought you liked to fight" teased Dwayne.

"Not with friends... or when I'm guaranteed to loose. Seriously you guys have a major advantage." I folded my arms and smiled. It seems our little argument was over and we were all willing to drop it.

"Well then" David slinked his arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him. "We might have to do something about that won't we?"

"Huh?"

"C'mon, lets get outta here before someone comes looking for these fools." David motioned towards what was left of the bonfire."

"Yeah c'mon! Lets check out the rides and see what's new!" Beamed Marko.

"I've never been in an amusement park before..."

There was a collective "What?"

"It's true, I never had time for it before... or the money.."

David shook his head "Now that is unacceptable" He started steering me towards the fairgrounds. I quickly tied my still wet singlet to one of the lapels on my leather pants.

"You can't live in Santa Carla and NOT go to the amusement park!" Paul grabbed one of my arms and started dragging me up the stairs we came down earlier to get to the ill fated party.

Marko grabbed my other arm and between them I was practically lifted off the ground. "You're gonna love it! I can SO tell you're and adrenaline junky!"

"Just like us" Chimed Dwayne as he snatched my singlet from my pants.

"Hey give that back!" I was trying not to laugh as i wriggled out of Marko's and Paul's grip.

"What this?" He threw my singlet to David.

He caught it and held it up "Come and get it."

I made a move to snatch it from him but David was faster. He threw it to Paul who caught it one handed and twirled it above his head with a holler. I charged at him only to have it thrown out of my reach to Marko. He dangled it like live bait then held it like the Matador at a Bull fight. I held my hands on top of my head to mimic horns and charged at him. Marko spun away with a fair amount of grace and threw my top back to Dwayne.

He hopped back a couple of steps and taunted me with it. I charged full speed and chased him into thrill seeker heaven, laughing all the way.

Dwayne eventually gave my singlet back as we navigated the amusement park. Some of the gangs tried to act tough and push us around but the boys knocked them on their arses before they could blink. We even managed to sneak onto a couple of rides without paying. The Big Dipper was fun but what really put the zap on my head was the rollercoaster.

We had split up in order to smuggle ourselves onto the ride. I actually pulled off the good old 'tap on one shoulder and run in the opposite direction' gag to get past the organiser. Dwayne, Paul and Marko had already claimed their seats, chatting up their new dates who helped them get in. I was yanked down suddenly by David, earning a gasp, then a giggle.

The safety bars locked into place and the carts began to move. Very slowly. Once we reached the peak of the artificial summit we began to teeter over the edge. This gave us a clear view of the g-forced gauntlet we were about to endure and some of the patrons were already yelling in anticipation. I shot an uncertain glance David's way. He gave me a wink and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Then we dropped over the edge.

The angle we were on made me lean forward. The gravity from our decent pushed me back. The change in directions threw me one way while the cart twisted to the other. Then there was the spiral.

'THIS IS AWESOME!'

I threw my hands up and screamed in mad exhilaration with the rest of the crowd. Above the roar of the other patrons enjoyment, I could hear David whoop as I laughed with manic glee. By the time the ride was over and we teetered to a stop my arms were dead, voice hoarse and I was well and truly out of breath. The safety bar finally released us.

I climbed up as quickly as i could and bounced up and down from my latest adrenaline rush. David was chuckling to himself as I jumped onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck and thanking him for showing me something so cool. Our afterglow was short lived when security showed up with a pissed off organiser.

"Them! They're the ones that didn't pay!" The organiser pointed at all of us as the security guard headed our way.

"Time to go" Was all David said.

Dwayne, Paul and Marko called "laters" to their dates and dashed off in different directions as David grabbed my hand and lead me through the crowd. We lost the guard near the costume changing booth. We had ducked behind those funny mirrors that warped your shape and watched the guard storm past, pissed that he lost us. We were laughing quietly to ourselves as we headed for the carousel.

Marko was already there, leaning on the railing. He looked over his shoulder and saw us approach. We distracted him from seeing Paul who ran past and jabbed him in the ribs, making him jump and twirl around. He laughed and gave Paul the finger just as Dwayne turned up. As a group we boarded the carousel.

The Lost Boys stalked the turning platform of lights, music and mirrors, relishing the nostalgia of familiar territory. David, much to my surprise, helped me onto one of the horses designed to hold an adults weight. He stayed with me, leaning against the plastic stallion and smiled warmly to me. I couldn't help but return it... It made me feel all warm and giddy to see him smile like that.

His smile dropped however as he eyed something behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see a group of punk/emo kids dressed in a mixture of black, purple and red. One of them had been staring at me. When i cocked my head as if to say "what?" He flashed me a flirtations smile and a wink. I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him. David stood taller when i felt a presence behind me.

I was about to turn and look at the punk when i felt a hand touch my hip. I stared disbelieving what just occurred at the bold punk who blew me a kiss. I raised my arm up to elbow him in the eye... but David was quicker. He had grabbed the punk by the face and shoved him away from me. The punks gang backed him up and the Lost Boys appeared by David's side. Before anyone had even had a chance to speak a fight broke out between them.

A bell rang, signalling the carousel to stop just a David broke the 'punk who groped me' nose. Blood oozed down his face as he stumbled back. Paul, Marko and Dwayne kept his friends busy as David grabbed the punk by the throat and threw him off the still rotating ride. With a scream he sailed into the air and landed on the security guard that had been trying to find us all night. The skinny dude crumbled under the punk, sending both of them into a pile on the ground.

The punks buddies were torn between fighting, running away from security and helping their friend. They opted to jump off when more security arrived and dragged their friend with them. Laughing like hyena's we jumped off the now stationary carousel and left the fairgrounds.

I flicked my hair out of my face once it was safe to relax "Man that was fun! We should do that again some time."

"Hell yeah!" Paul fist pumped the air and we all collectively agreed that we'd come back later.

The night was coming to an end so we headed for our bikes. Paul, Marko and Dwayne had already mounted their rides as they continued to chat animatedly about their night. David had instinctually reached for the pocket he usually stored his keys in only to find it empty. He pat down his pockets and frowned when he couldn't feel them anywhere.

I had stopped in my tracks when i saw him looking for his keys. I took one step away from him, then another until he looked up with a very suspicious look in his eyes. He looked less than amused as he took a step towards me with his hand held out.

"Give them back."

I feigned innocence "Give what back?"

"Give back my keys."

"She took your keys?" Teased Paul. David merely growled, making him and the others laugh.

"Oh... you mean these?" I fished out his keys from my back pocket and dangled them above me, making them jingle. "Ask me nicely" I grinned darkly, enjoying that rather thunderous look he's giving me right now.

"last chance." He took a step forward, unwilling to let my will be stronger than his. "Give them back."

I hopped back as he took his step forward, keeping the distance between us the same.

"If you want them." I clasped them close to my chest and hunched over slightly as he squared his shoulders...

"... Come and get them!"


	14. Battle of Wills part - 2

David pounced at me so fast I barely had time to react. He had grabbed me by my shoulders with the intent to get in my face... Lucky for me, I was still wearing his coat and this was NOT my first rodeo. With his keys still gripped firmly in my hand, I ducked down and twisted myself behind him, getting myself out of his coat in the process. David looked at me, completely surprised that I managed to pull that off. With a wild look in my eye and with the craziest grin I could pull... I took off running in the opposite direction, yelling "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!".

I could hear laughter echoing around me, accompanying my own as I ran. I was so glad my singlet had dried because it was chilly enough running with only this thin fabric to protect me from the sea breeze. I could feel that someone was behind me and ducked into a forward roll, just missing a swipe from David. It didn't take either of us long to recover and took off as fast as my feet could carry me. I could hear Dwayne, Paul and Marko whooping and cat calling with us... they're chasing me too.

To David's credit, he stayed hot on my heels. I jumped over trash cans, skimmed past people, and deliberately zigzagged to try and shake him off my tail. No good. Every time I looked behind me he was right there, grinning, his coat back where it belonged, trailing behind him as he ran. I looked ahead to see Dwayne ready to catch me. I dropped to the ground and skidded between his legs.

"What the?"

"Ha ha! Too slow Dwayne!"

I rolled back onto my feet and took off again, controlling my breathing as best i could. 'I won't be able to keep this kinda pace up for much longer... I need to change the game, especially since they're all chasing me!'

Shops flew past as i scanned the area, looking for the boys and a better place to run to. Marko charged outta nowhere, aiming to shoulder barge me in the stomach. I jumped before he made contact, gripping his shoulders for support as i flipped myself over him. He stumbled for a second, yelling "WOAH!" before he too joined David and Dwayne in their direct pursuit.

Paul jumped out of the thin crowd on my right, yelling "gotcha" with his hands outstretched towards me. I stopped dead in my tracks and dropped to the ground, causing him to run into Marko who bumped into Dwayne, triggering the three of them to fall over in a domino effect. David managed to avoid the collision and almost grabbed me. I rolled out of the way and was back on my feet, narrowly escaping his clutches as I took off again at high speed.

David, Dwayne, Marko, and now Paul were so close I could feel their breaths on my neck, making me shiver with excitement. They continued to laugh, thoroughly enjoying our little game of cat and mouse... and quite frankly... I'm loving every second of this. I changed tactic and ran down an alleyway, hoping that the limited space would force them into single file and give me a chance to get ahead of them.

... Naturally it was a dead end.

"You've got nowhere to go Elizabeth" Called David... So damn close to me ear.

"You wanna bet?" I yell over my shoulder as I sprinted towards the half assed wooden barricade separating this alley from another street.

At full speed I jumped onto the wall on my right, kicked myself off to the wall to my left and grabbed the railing for the fire escape of a clothing shop. I twisted myself between the rails and ran up the stairs on all fours until i regained my balance. Once on the roof I stopped, thinking I managed to leave the Lost Boys stumped in the alley below me. I sucked in air and held my side, trying to stretch out a stitch.

I felt a sudden gust of wind behind me. Since the breeze was coming from the wrong direction I instinctively hopped forward and turned around. There stood the four vampires, grinning malevolently. 'How in hell did they get up here without the ladder or making a sound?' I backed away until I reached the ledge. I stole a glance to see a car parked just in front of this shop with a light pole close to my side before returning my attention to David, who was merely inches away from me.

"That was pretty slick Elizabeth," The boys chuckled as he paused before continuing "but we gotcha beat."

I grinned now that I had caught my breath, feeling confident with my escape route. "That's what you think."

I winked as i jumped for the light pole, only just successfully latching myself onto it. I grinned at the boys as i slid down fireman styles but they didn't stay up there for long. David jumped onto the pole just as i made contact with the ground while Paul, Dwayne and Marko jumped onto the car, breaking the glass and setting off the alarm on impact. I pushed past a lone straggler, whom called out to me to watch where I was going as I sprinted towards the jetty. The tide had come in for the night but the edge of the wooden walkway still towered over the waking sea.

I could hear the boys right behind me... One of them was gaining on me. This was a last ditch effort to get away with David's keys. My feet pounded against the wooden boards, the bollards flew past in a darkened blur, my lungs burned with overuse and my ribs were yelling at me to stop as i approached the ledge... but I pushed my last burst of energy into a flying leap. I repositioned myself into a dive as i headed for the water a few feet below me.

A steel like grip wrapped around my ankle. It jerked my entire body into a rough stop. My body swung with the defiance of gravity until it corrected itself causing me to yelp with my ribs and looked upside down as I dangled in mid air. I stare at the gloved hand wrapped securely around me, then followed it to see a bewildered David hanging onto a bollard at the edge of the wooden walkway. Dwayne, Paul and Marko stood behind him, looking a little sweaty but not out of breath as one would expect.

David glanced over his shoulder before lifting me with supernatural ease. I guessed he was checking to see if anyone would see the strange feat... Regardless he looked back at me as I now dangled level with his waist. I folded my arms as he smirked his signature smirk. I tilted my chin down to get a better look at him. He held his free hand out expectantly.

"Caught you." He grinned with his cool calm tone.

"That you did, here you go." I handed him his keys nonchalantly before returning my arms to their folded state.

"You are one crazy girl!" Called Marko, shaking his head with a grin.

"Just what is it that I did is crazy for you Marko?" I giggled, starting to get a little high from the blood rushing to my head.

"Stealing David's keys for starters..." He stretched his arms out as if to measure the gravity of that statement "You've got guts!"

"That's the craziest thing I did for you? Wow i gotta work on my act..." Somehow his grin got even wider as Paul and Dwayne laughed.

David stooped lower to speak to me as he continued to hold me upside down "And what were you planning to achieve by diving into shallow waters?"

"Swim to safety" I beamed "The water is deep enough, the rocks are further out so I wouldn't have broken my neck or anything..." Trying to shrug didn't really work and now my head was pounding in my ears.

David seemed to think it over before smiling darkly. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You're absolutely right."

He dropped me into the into the water without so much as a warning. I squeaked before making contact, causing some of the salty water to pour into my mouth. I flipped myself once I was completely submerged and let my feet touch the soot like ground. With a strong kick I propelled myself back to the surface to cough up the invasive liquid, rubbing my eyes viciously so i could see. David smiled smugly as the others laughed at my drenched state. I had to admit, that was pretty good and joined in with their laughter. I tread water towards the edge and made a move to pull myself up, only to find I was coming up short.

"Uh... a little help here guys?" I asked super sweetly.

"Here." David stooped down to give me a hand up, still smiling that smug smile...

'Oh I am NOT going down without a fight.'

I smile gratefully towards him as I reached up, pretending I couldn't quite get there. He stooped lower to grab my hand and began to lift me out of the water. I waited until we were off balance and was able to walk my feet along an underwater stilt. I tightened my grip in one hand as I grabbed his coat with the other and pulled with all my might, throwing both of us back into the drink. The last thing I heard before a loud splash was David's very surprised yell... That alone made this totally worth the effort.

I resurfaced with an half choke, half laugh and looked to see the vampiric trio in a fit of hysterical laughter. Marko had fallen onto his knees, holding his stomach to suppress a stitch. Paul was leaning on a bollard, holding his head as he laughed at the sky with his eyes closed. Dwayne was giving me a round of applause until he pointed behind me, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Better swim litl' sista' before he pulls a Jaws on your ass!"

I turned around to see a drenched David drifting towards me. His once spiked hair now sat flatly against his head with the tails of his mullet clinging to his neck. He looked like a wet rat... a very angry wet rat. His eyes flashed with something dark and foreboding before submerging himself under the water. Soon the only ripples in the salty substance came from me... and that was all the incentive i needed to burst into the fastest freestyle I could force my tired limbs to muster.

Kick after kick. stroke after stroke. I pounded through the water, occasionally tilting my face to take a much needed breath as I raced for the shore. As much as I enjoyed ruffling David's feathers I fear I may have taken it a little too far... and I wasn't sure if I could handle the consequence. Finally. With much joy I reached the shore, trying to crawl on all fours and get to my feet as the waves licked at my back, keeping me unsteady.

Gravity was my enemy as my body tried to adjust from the buoyancy of the ocean to the somehow heavier air. Sure enough my foot got stuck into the sand and I plopped face first, only just catching my face to prevent the sand from going into my eyes, nose or mouth. Once I regained my composure I moved to pull my foot out of its poorly timed sinkhole... Only to find it wouldn't budge.

Perplexed, I looked behind me to see my foot was not stuck in the sand at all... but in the vice like grip of a platinum blonde vampire. Water streamed down his smirking face, curling around his threatening eyes, screaming anger, danger, and something else I couldn't identify. My eyes widened as I realized just how much trouble I was really in and I made a mad attempt to scramble away. He didn't even need to apply pressure or jerk me back towards him. My own haste and clumsiness knocked me back into the ground as his grip on my foot remained the same.

This is the one time I resent wearing boots... I can't kick them off!

Ordinarily I'd kick whoever had me in such a compromising position but I didn't wanna piss him off any more than I already had. Suddenly my foot was twisted rather sharply, causing the rest of my body to follow through and I landed on my back. All thoughts of trying to soothe the situation over flew outta my head when that fresh jolt of pain coursed through my still tender ribs. With a grunt, I pulled my free foot back in order to kick David square in the jaw.

He saw the hit coming and caught my foot in mid air. With a hard yank I was ripped across the damp sand until my pelvis slammed against his. I tried to push away and punch him at the same time but somehow he managed to pin my lower body by straddling my waist and caught my wrist before I could make contact. Completely unfazed by his display of strength and speed I used my free hand to glock him on his cheek. His face followed through with the hit but he looked back immediately with a smile. He managed to catch my wrist and pinned both my arms above my head. His face was now merely an inch away from mine.

I tried to use my legs to push him off of me but I couldn't bend my knees! He had positioned himself perfectly so that I couldn't move at all. I thrashed about, trying to get my arms free but I couldn't even get them off the ground, let alone out of his grip. I had twisted and wriggled my pelvis in an attempt to use my core strength to knock him off of his perch but... I was just so damn exhausted from the run and the swim... I really had nothing left... Not to mention that this was counter productive...

The accidental friction I had caused in my attempt to get free was making me blush. I stilled my movements, hopping that he didn't notice... but how could he miss it? He's still right in my face. David smiled cruelly when I realized I was trapped. I stuck my chin out and showed nothing but defiance. Yes he won. Yes I'm compromised... In more ways than one. Yes I'm beginning to feel vulnerable with the lack of control of the situation... But I wasn't gonna let him know that. He looked me right in the eye as he spoke in his cool, calm, yet foreboding voice.

"You know what happens when you play with fire?" His eyes seemed to swirl anger.

I replied with my colder than ice voice "You get burned."

We locked eyes again, trying to see who was bluffing their bravado until we heard someone clear their throat. "I'd hate to interrupt guys but..." We looked up to see the Cheshire grin of Marko, squatting in the sand close by... "The daylight ain't waitin' for no one. We got an hour or two tops... annnnd.. well.."

'Two hours? How long have we been staring at each other?'

He didn't finish whatever it was he had to say. There was a slight, distracted pause before his impossibly huge grin got even wider... which he opted to hide behind the palm of his hand as chewed on the strap for his glove... There was a low growl coming from David that was making me both nervous and very excited... Suddenly the grip on my wrists disappeared, as did the weight on my lower body. David had remained silent as he stood and brushed off some of the sand on his legs. Not wanting to appear weak for even a second I had taken the opportunity to pick myself up off the ground. I was highly suspicious and incredibly confused about what just happened and why it stopped... but I doubt I'd get an answer if I asked about it. Honesty... I was just glad we weren't trying to rip each others heads off...

David fished inside his coat and examined a packet of cigarettes. He squeezed them, making a stream of water fall to the floor and he tossed them aside without a second glance as headed towards their bikes. I looked to Marko who gave me a shrug as he signalled me to follow them.

I whispered to him "Is David mad at me right now?"

He gave me a sympathetic look "Uh... Usually he's the explosive kinda angry but that passes quickly y'know? But when he's silent.. well.."

He didn't need to finish... 'I guess I've embarrassed him... made him look like a fool in front of his friends... Maybe that has bigger ramifications for vampires?... It definitely does for gangs... but HEY! He dropped me into the water first!... then again I was gonna do that anyway... GAH!'

"I didn't mean for it to go so far..."

"I know... It was pretty funny though." He winked.

Marko pat my shoulder with a slight smile, sensing my unease. I sighed as I braced myself to face the music. Somehow the bikes were a lot closer to where we are now that where they were earlier this evening. I dunno if Paul, Dwayne and Marko moved them for a quick getaway while David and I were... what were we doing? Sizing each other up? '... or if it was "magic" or what. My head was full of questions... and I doubt I'd get any answers tonight.

Dwayne and Paul were waiting for us on their rides and did their best not to smile at their brooding leader. In fact they avoided eye contact all together... making me even more nervous about taking my practical joke too far. David and Marko had mounted their rides and everyone started their engines, waiting for the signal to go. I wasn't sure with who I was suppose to mount with... If I was even suppose to mount with anyone... but when I made a move towards Marko he signalled with his eyes for me to look at David.

He stared at me with the 'don't you even think about it' kinda look. He didn't offer to help me on either, just stared, waiting to see what I'd do. I took a breath, hardened my features and squared my shoulders before hopping on behind him. I planned to only hold his hips due to how ridged he was holding himself with barely contained anger but the sudden take-off forced me to wrap my arms around his waist for fear of falling off.

I didn't see his smug smile...

The ride home was awkwardly quiet and bloody freezing! Being the idiot that I was, I paid the price for my late night swim... and for leaving my jacket on the beach somewhere. David, the brooding bastard, seemed completely unfazed by the cold... At least our clothes are mostly dry now. Once we parked and headed down the walkway i quickly batted off any stray sand and held my chest for warmth. I learned from my many years on the street... Your arms will warm themselves, it's your chest you gotta worry about.

I stared at the ground as we descended the stairs together, refusing to look at David while I shivered my butt off, unable to free my arms from my chest for extra balance. I tripped on some warped, slightly raised wood and gasped as I flew forward. Someone caught me by the hip and pulled my upright with an agitated sigh. I looked up to see David with his arm around me, stone faced... giving nothing away. I shifted roughly out of his grip and muttered "thanks" as I ducked inside the cave. I heard someone whisper "feisty" but when I glanced over my shoulder, everyone seemed to be distracted by something again... despite the echo of a snicker drifting to my ears... Nobody made a sound.

'Great.. now I'm losing it again. Perfect.'

Paul had the branch this time and it didn't take him long to light the place up again. I wandered over to one of the oil drums to warm myself... staring into the fire, lost in my own world. I looked up to see Paul with a blanket bundled under his arm. He offered it to me with a sad smile. I flashed him my own grateful smile as I quickly wrapped it around myself tightly.

"It's actually pretty close to dawn so we're turning in... are you gonna be ok?"

"Yeah... I've weathered better storms than this one."

"Ah the curse of practical jokers... we never know when to stop."

"All in the pursuit to make someone laugh." I shrugged, glad I wasn't the only one who has earned David's scorn... I really didn't think the joke was that bad... "Thanks Paul".

I hugged and bade good night to Paul, Marko and Dwayne, relishing the temporary warmth I received from each of them... In more ways than one. They retreated to the back of the cave, opening the entrance to their dwelling and exiting in single file. David lingered for a moment, removing his coat and draped it over his old wheelchair, leaving it to dry. His vest and shirt were still damp but he made no move to undress any further. Instead he stared at me for a moment, thinking hard about something. Then without saying a word, he turned and left.

Feeling defeated on so many levels, I dropped onto one the couches with a huff, unlacing and pulling off my waterlogged boots. I can handle being screamed at, punched, whipped or even the low key threats... but this silent avoidance thing... for some reason it's cutting me pretty deeply. I don't know why I care so much about what David thinks or feels. I've never been in a relationship before.. I don't know how I'm suppose to behave.. The most I've ever done was kiss a few guys, but then I'd find something I didn't like about them and bail... This is all new to me and it's starting to freak me out. Leaning into the back of the couch, I shut my eyes and let out a long sigh... Trying to clear my head and figure out my options. Fight or flight? Fix or leave?

'CREAK'

My thoughts were interrupted with the unexpected sound of creaking metal. I opened my eyes and saw that some of the scrap metal the boys use as a barricade/door to the entrance of their dwelling was hanging slightly off center. Tightening the blanket around me for extra warmth, I hopped up and approached the entrance. I was just gonna close it over then crash on the couch but I saw a low flicker of light in the distance. Curious, I stepped through what one could argue as the threshold and closed the "door" behind me. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness before pursuing that faint source of light.

Once I was ready, I picked up the tails from my blanket and made my way through the corridor, occasionally ducking under a low rock or beam. My steps were silent, my heart rate was steady and my breath was even. The dark never bothered me and I'm certainly not claustrophobic. Every now and then I would pass a broken door. Bursting through the rotted wood were rocks and debris. Confirming the statement that this place was indeed a hotel once, so many years ago. A tunnel twisted off to my left, but the soft yellow light was coming from my right. Shadows flicked against the granite walls, suggesting a candle was lighting my way. I followed it into one of the few rooms still standing in this underground sanctuary.

I pressed my back against the wall with the open door close to my right shoulder. Slowly, I peeked inside the room. A lone candle sat in the centre. It's warm, relaxing and even inviting light revealed a nest of blankets and pillows. The rest of the room was engulfed in darkness, giving me no clue as to how big the room really was. I frowned, not trusting the oddness of the situation. I stilled my thoughts and inhaled deeply through my nose. All I could smell was old wood, Candle wax, and the faint smell of the ocean. I listened for a moment... only silence greeted me.

'Well no one seems to be sleeping here... whoever set this room up must've forgotten to turn out the lights so's to speak...'

With a shrug, I wandered into the room with the intent to blow out the candle, then return to the 'main lobby'.

BANG!

I whirled around to see the door had slammed shut. I paced over quickly and jiggled the handle. The damn thing was locked. I shrugged off my blanket and stooped low to grab my trusty knife from the side of my boot... Only to feel my bare ankle. "Shit". I jumped into the shadows, avoiding the candlelight, resisting the urge to race over and blow it out and hide in the darkness... Too easy to get ambushed that way. I steadied my heart rate and inhaled again. This time, now that the room had been closed off, I could smell faint traces of leather, cigarettes and musk.

I'm grabbed from behind with a firm grip on my hips. Without hesitation I had elbowed the mass behind me then grabbed one of the hands, bending their thumb back, forcing them to let me go. I heard my assailant hiss from the pain as I spun around and charged into them, pushing them backwards so I could ram them into the wall. Somehow they managed to adjust their grip and lift me off the ground. My back was slammed into the wall instead, earning a growl from me as they pinned me with their pelvis. I wrapped my legs above their hips and squeezed as hard as I could, hoping to cut off their air supply to their lower lungs and I wrapped my hands around their throat. My arms were knocked down with solid fists and I was thrown to the other side of the room. I landed with an "oomf" and rolled onto one knee, one foot, steadying myself with one hand on the ground with the other behind me, ready to pounce.

Dark laughter echoed around the room as David appeared out of the shadows. His vest was gone as were his boots, leaving just his black shirt, gloves and biker pants slightly dishevelled from our tryst. He grinned as he tilted his head down, casting his face with more shadows as his eyes captured the light.

His voice was sensual, dark, and challenging "C'mon Elizabeth... You can do better than that."

I charged at him, determined to unleash a torrent of frustration at someone who could get under my skin like that. His challenge was so damn sexy it should be a crime! He ducked under my right hook and parried my jabs, grinning the whole time, fuelling my fury. I moved to deliver a high kick but he caught my leg and pulled me against him. He grabbed me so I wouldn't fall by holding his free hand between my shoulder blades. He squeezed my leg as he stole a kiss. Deliberately grinding his hip against mine before letting me go. I tried to shake off the heat pooling into my stomach and attacked him again. He knocked out the ground from under me and caught me before I hit the ground. I grabbed onto him as we defied gravity, then kicked his shins, making both of us drop to the floor.

The blankets and pillows softened the impact as I found myself pinned beneath his body. I wriggled to get out from under him, somehow wrapping one leg around his hip so I could try to twist us around while grabbing his shoulders. He pinned my hands above my head again and I became VERY distracted by something I hadn't noticed before. The more I wriggled, the harder something became between my legs. David's lips crashed against my so much aggression I was taken by surprise. My yelp was muffled by his growl as he invaded my mouth once more. His tongue mapped out familiar territory, coaxing mine to come out to play.

I was so confused. One minute we were fighting and now we're making out like our lives depended on it...

He released my mouth to leave a trail of rough kisses along my throat, sending a jolt of excitement through my entire system. He licked and nipped at my earlobe as he adjusted his grip on my wrists so he could hold them both in one hand. He returned his attention to my mouth as he trailed his now free hand down my arm to rest on my breast. He circled my nipple through the fabric then kneaded my breast, earning a moan of pleasure from me. He smirked into the kiss, stopping for a moment to use his teeth to grip the tip of his glove and remove it. He tossed it aside, and slipped his now bare hand under my singlet. His skin was cool to the touch as he slowly trailed it over my stomach towards my breast.

He resumed his assault on my mouth and I matched his pace with a passion of my own. I desperately wanted to touch him as he was touching me but he would not release his grip on my wrist. He pinched my peaked nipple through my bra, making my hip buck against his as a moan escaped my mouth. He purred as he broke our kiss and leaned back onto his knees, pulling me with him in surprising speed, finally letting go of my wrists. He peeled off my singlet and unclasped my bra before I could even blink. I regained my senses fast enough to quickly pull his shirt over his head.

I took a moment to admire his physique. He wasn't a muscle bound sculpture with the perfect six pack. Oh no. He was so much better than that. His build was strong but not finely chiselled, the hidden kinda strength. His pecs and biceps were not stupidly huge or disproportionate to his natural build. Firm enough to feel secure yet soft enough to cuddle. Seeing his bare skin like this suddenly made everything very real... Up until this point I thought I was dreaming. I looked up to see he was doing the same to me. His eyes roamed over every inch of my body. Making me feel even more vulnerable than I already did. I blushed heavily and looked down. David placed his fingers under my chin and tilted my head, making me look him in the eyes.

They were heavy with lust and desire... To be looked at in such a way made my blush even worse. He clasped my face in both his hands and kissed me. His hands drifted to my shoulders and he pushed back on to the ground. I fisted his hair even as he left a trail of feather kisses down my neck until he latched onto my breast. He swirled his tongue around my nipple and suckled hard as he tweaked the other with expert precision. I arched my back and gasped with the delicious combination of pleasure and pain.

He loosened the button on my leather pants, hooked his fingers under the fabric and peeled everything off in one fluid motion... Including my underwear. He released my nipple as he used his knee to spread my legs apart. He smirked as he traced my folds, teasing without touching, showing me how wet I was already. My breath shuddered with desire and damn near jumped out of my skin when he flicked that oh-so-sensitive bundle of nerves. I grabbed the tails of his mullet and crashed my lips against his. My other hand fumbled to get his pants free but I managed in the end. He shook them off and I was awarded with seven inches of masculine pride that was deliciously thicker at the base.

I wrapped my fingers around his hard shaft, throbbing with need, stroking him gently as he plunged a finger deep inside me. The sudden intrusion made me yelp with pain and surprise. He froze immediately and looked to me in slight shock. I panted heavily until I regained my composure.

"You're a..."

"Virgin" I finished for him. "Yeah..." I sounded embarrassed.

He smiled and kissed me gently "I'm honored to be your first... I promise, it will only hurt for a little while..."

"David..." I looked him in the eye as i traced his lips "take me."

His smile broadened as he plunged his finger back in, he slowly withdrew and repeated the process. He used his thumb to circle my clitoris as he distracted me with passionate kisses. He waited until I began to buck my hips against him before adding a second finger, increasing his pace, thrusting harder, making me pant and moan to his ministrations. I could feel a pressure building deep inside, making it hard to think of anything other than him and what he was doing to me. I started to call out in audible gasps as I held him closer. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more he stopped.

I couldn't help but whimper as he withdrew his fingers, making him chuckle as he spread my legs, bending my knees so that he could line himself up with me. I could feel him rub the tip of his cock against my slick folds, lubricating himself before resting at my entrance. He leaned onto his elbows and kissed me tenderly. Then slowly pushed the tip of his cock past the virginal barrier. I clamped my jaw shut and hissed through my teeth, willing myself to relax for him and ignore the pain. He waited a moment then penetrated me with one powerful thrust, sheathing himself all the way to the hilt.

I cried out with the burn of tearing flesh and being stretched beyond my limit, throbbing around him in pain filled waves. A low groan escaped his lips. He closed his eyes and shuddered with pleasure but managed to stay perfectly still. He opened his eyes and panted with desire, tracing his thumb against my lips before kissing them again. It didn't take me long to push the pain out of my head. I moved my hips against his, telling him that I was ready.

He slowly withdrew himself all the way to the tip then plunged right back in. I groaned and closed my eyes, lost in the sensation of him inside me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and drew him in deeper as I moved in sync with him. He kept the pace slow at first, careful, meticulous, relishing every gasp and moan that escaped my lips. I tightened my walls against him, making his eyes roll back with a moan. He thrust into me harder. Faster. Almost erratic with no rhythm at all. I lost my mind, clawing his back, making him groan as I yelled with the building pleasure, getting louder with every thrust. The coil of heat and pressure inside me became unbearable.

A sharp pain in my neck triggered the explosion within. I screamed. The pleasure ripped through my body like a tidal wave of heat, blurring my vision as I held on for dear life. I dug my nails into David's back, making him throw his head back with a roar as he delivered one final thrust, filling me with his seed. We rode our waves of pleasure together, lost in each other until we came back down to reality once more. We held each other as we caught our breaths... neither of us seemed to be willing to move.

David licked my neck then kissed the wound as he carefully pulled out of me. I winced but kept it to myself as he rolled onto his back, taking me with him so I could rest my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm tightly around me as I snuggled into him. He pulled a thin blanket to cover our bodies that were still glistening with sweat. My eyes were heavy, refusing to stay open any longer. David breathed a sigh of contentment as he held me closer.

He murmured against my forehead. "You are mine now Elizabeth Ryder. Mine and mine alone."

"Yours" was all I managed to mumble before sleep consumed me... Really... I'd never want to be with anyone else.

I slipped into a very surreal dream...

It's pouring with rain as it has been for a few hours now, so dark I can't see past my nose. I pulled the collar up from my navy blue trench coat to keep the rain from soaking my shirt but the act proved to be futile. I couldn't help but fidget the wedding ring still on my finger as I stalked the old highway. It serves as a reminder for what I've lost.

"Oh pumpkin... Where are you? Why can't I see you? Why can't I hear you? I can find anyone... so why can't I find you?"

I see the headlights of another car coming towards me. I stick out my thumb and continue to walk, waiting to see if they will pick me up. This driver was smart... they kept going. The last one was a coward. He recited the words. "I. Want. To. Die." Useless... I need someone who can defy me. I need someone with courage. Someone to end this wretched life of mine and grant me peace. So as punishment... I cut off his legs... and his arms... and his head... I gave him a chance. I gave them all a chance... A chance to survive. But he was such a coward that he sat there and stuttered, begging me to let him live. All he had to do was push me out the car... Then I could push him. Drive him mad until he would have the guts to kill me... But no.

Another car approached. I stuck out my thumb again and waited to see what they'd do. This one pulled over ahead of me. With a sigh I wandered over to the stationary car. The windows were foggy, barring me from seeing who's inside. I touched the handle but it was locked. So I knocked on the window. The door opened to reveal a kid with brown hair, brown eyes and a red checked shirt... He was barely old enough to grow some chin hairs let alone drive.

He smiled saying "My mom told me never to do this."

wise woman...

I sat down and closed the door, observing the boy in the corner of my eye... He seemed too cheerful, too pleasant to have the killer instinct I desire.

He reached his hand over in introductions "I'm Jim Halsey."

I clasped my hand in his, surprised at the firm grip... maybe he's the one after all, the one that will kill me. So introduced myself...

"... John... Ryder."


	15. How many skeletons are in the closet?

"... John... Ryder..."

His voice echoed within my mind as my eyes snapped open. As always I remained completely still, not bothering to even flinch from such a surreal dream. I couldn't believe it... I just had a dream about my father, I mean, why else would I dream about someone by that name? It was so real ... seeing things from his perspective.. hearing his thoughts as though they were my own... and I never even saw his face.

It sucked not knowing what he looked like so I let out a short frustrated huff. Something tightened around my waist and I noticed that I was resting my head on something firm yet comfortable... I was also cuddled up against said object. A little confused as to what I was lying on, I tilted my face to see a sleeping David.

'Oh my God... last night really happened...'

His features had become vampiric in his sleep but even so, he looked incredibly relaxed... I took a quick glance around the room to see it was an ordinary... well not really.. but it was a hotel bedroom. It was bigger than what I am used to but there was a serious lack of furniture in here... It seems that over the years anything wooden would have rotted beyond repair in such a damp and subterranean environment, that it needed to be disposed of... As to what happened to the bed... That's anyone's guess. Well I'm gonna guess someone looted the place, picked it clean years ago. There was nothing "valuable" left behind, not even a light bulb. Melted candles lined the walls and what I guess used to be a windowsill. Said walls had long since faded into a dull grey and the roof... well that's just rock now.

I made a move to get up and try and stretch some of the kinks out of my back but the arm currently curled around my waist pulled tighter, keeping me right where I am. I couldn't help but smile a little as I rested my cheek back onto David's chest. Carefully, I raised the arm I had curled around his side to gently trace the aggressive bone structure on his face. My fingertips ghosted around his brow and traced his cheek bone. David inhaled suddenly and caught my hand, gripping it tightly as his amber eyes cracked open.

"Hmm... Oh hey." He let go of my hand and smiled.

I flexed my fingers before lowering my hand back onto his chest. "Morning."

"Afternoon" He corrected with a smirk.

"Now how do you know that?" I asked with a mock stern face. "There no clock in here."

His smirk merely deepened, making him look intimidating with his vampiric features. "Magic."

"With a K?" I teased.

"Maybe" he teased right back, earning an eye roll from me. He yawned suddenly and looked a little droopy eyed. "What were you doing?"

"Admiring your features" I snickered.

He blinked at me before asking, pointing around his face as he spoke. "This really doesn't bother you huh?"

"Nope." I stated matter of factly.

He smiled slightly "good to know" and let his eyes close over.

I stretched as I spoke. "I gotta get up" and patted his hand to let me go but he kinda tightened his grip instead.

"It's too early.." He trailed off already half asleep.

"Nature calls mate. I gotta go." I smiled, wriggling out of his grip, sitting up and letting the thin blanket fall to my lap, exposing my chest.

David mumbled "you gotta go, you gotta go.." and dozed off. His lips parted slightly as he sighed, exposing his fangs to the more critical eye.

My smile broadened as I took in the sight... If I had a phone I would've snapped a photo (Yup I'm that kinda friend). I winced as I stood up, feeling a sharp sting that served as a reminder that my virginity was now gone. Carefully, I made sure David remained covered with the blanket before getting to my feet to gather my clothes. It didn't take me long to pull on my underwear, very grateful that David did not rip anything when he took everything off at the speed of light last night.

After a few hops, bounces and jiggles I managed to get those damn leather pants up. It was hard to stop myself from giggling but somehow I managed and stooped to pick up my singlet. Once fully dressed I glanced over my shoulder to see the sleeping vampire. After making sure I did not wake him with my morning dance I made my way to the door and found it unlocked.

'Huh... Now you wanna open.'

I exited without a second thought and started heading towards the entrance. I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a voice bouncing off the walls from deeper within the cave.

"Ugh what's that smell?" A boys voice asked.

"That's vampire B.O." Answered a deeper, more authoritative male voice.

Confused and suddenly alarmed at the prospect of intruders stumbling about inside our home, I started following the voices deeper into the tunnel network. At some points I had to crawl on all fours since the tunnel had collapsed and often had dead grass, cobwebs and who knows what else snagged on my person as I pursued the trio of chattering intruders. I heard one of them scream before being muffled and quickened my pace. I could hear them saying something as they spoke quietly amongst themselves until I fall into an open area. Once on my feet I looked to see two boys standing with their backs to me.

One of them was dressed like a green beret while the other seemed to be an 80's fashion victim with blonde hair. A third boy, also dressed like a green beret, was climbing up the wall for the cylindrical dead end. He cracked a joke about "first come, first staked" and was scalded by one of the boys in front of me. I looked up to see David, Dwayne, Paul and Marko hanging upside down from the ceiling! Their features were vampiric in their sleep and in that moment I completely forgot that David was in the other room with me just a few minutes ago and there was no way he could be here now... All I was focused on was the soldier boy raising a sharp wooden stake to Marko's heart saying "good night bloodsucker!" and rammed it into his chest.

I screamed in horror. Marko screamed in pain. David, Dwayne and Paul screamed in rage. The young intruders screamed in fear. Marko fall to the ground and writhed about in agony. The intruders grabbed each other and took off down the tunnel. David's rage filled voice roared "You're dead meat!" before dropping down to chase the juvenile murderers while Dwayne and Paul dropped down to help Marko. I watched in horror as Dwayne held Marko down so Paul could rip the stake out. Dwayne cradled his head, helping Marko sit up as he coughed up blood. Paul was gripping Marko's chest trying to stop the bleeding. He grabbed onto both of them, Dwayne by his hand and Paul by his shoulder in a vice like grip... Begging them to make the pain stop.

I was still screaming. It morphed from horror, to rage, then pain. For some reason I was just standing there instead of helping them or chasing after those.. those.. assassins! At some point I had dropped to my knees, grasping my head as an almighty migraine crippled my brain. At some point I had closed my eyes in an attempt to block out the horror and agony. A firm grip had grabbed onto my shoulders and gave me a good shake.

A voice cut through the madness like a hot knife through butter. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth wake up!"

My head was still pounding but I forced my eyes open to See David's now human face just inches from mine. "D-David?"

He looked so worried "Are you ok? Why were you screaming?"

I gripped his bare forearms tightly and yelled "Marko!" and looked to where he was laying on the ground with Dwayne and Paul... only to see nothing there. I looked up to see nothing but darkness and scanned the whole area.. Nada. "What?.. But.. He's.."

"He's fine. Marko is fine. I swear." David assured me as he cupped my cheek, making me look at him.

I had a total needy moment and hugged David tightly, nuzzling my face into his bare chest. He didn't seem to mind for he wrapped his arms around me and ran his fingers through my hair. I was shaking from what I saw... That actually frightened me. The thought of any of them coming to any harm angered me beyond words... But the idea of any of them dying? I didn't wanna think about it. Once I was calm and collected I pulled back to give David a once over. It looks like he managed to pull his pants on at least but that's about it... They weren't even buttoned. I looked back up to see him watching me like a hawk.

"Sorry I woke you..." and blushed sheepishly.

He relaxed and sighed "It's alright. What was that?" He tilted his head slightly, making the tails of his mullet dangle above his shoulder.

"I dunno" I rubbed my face before answering "A vivid daydream... Maybe a hallucination?"

"Maybe." He stood and helped me up at the same time. "What did you see?"

"I.." I started but stopped... This was gonna sound crazy and now suddenly.. how he saw me became very important to me..

As if sensing my unspoken fear, he pinched my chin and tilted my face to look him in the eye. "It's ok, you can tell me."

I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves. "I saw Marko getting staked by some kid dressed in army fatigues."

David visibly stiffened and let go of my chin. "You.. just saw that?"

"Yeah... Crazy huh?" I stared at the ground and shifted my feet.

"Not really." Came his cool, calm response, making me look up. His face was an unreadable mask again. "That's what happened." He guided me to where Marko fall, exactly where I saw it in my vision. "He died right here... Direct stake to the heart, there was nothing we could do." He spat that out with barely contained anger and took a moment to compose himself. He then looked to me with a rather stern expression.

I didn't really know what to say... It's was so creepy to witness something like that in a waking dream... But i can only imagine how horrible it must've been to experience it. "I'm so sorry David... I'm sorry I brought it up... Painful memories should stay buried."

His eyes softened a little as he ran his hand through his hair, scruffing it a bit as he spoke. "Not your fault. You can't help but see what there is to see."

After a long pause I had to ask. "Were they the Frog brothers?"

He nods solemnly. "The soldier boys were the Frog brothers. The other kid with them was... Sam I think.. Yeah Sam."

"Sam who?"

"Emmerson. Michael's brother." He stated matter of factly.

"Oh... Frog and Emmerson brothers.." I muttered, recalling the Mistresses words.

"Yeah.." He shrugged before continuing "c'mon, let's get out of here." Obviously wanting to drop this gloomy subject. I guess you never forget who killed you or so goes ever ghost story I know.

I nod in agreement, relieved he wasn't mad at me, just the memory. I started going back the way I came but he grabbed my hand and lead me back to the dead end. I looked at him in confusion as he pushed against the wall. The stone moved, revealing a false wall that opened to a pitch black tunnel. He told me to duck every once in a while, holding my hand so I wouldn't loose him in the dark, which he had no trouble navigating what so ever. The ground suddenly sloped downwards and I literally skidded into his back. That seemed to make him slip and we both skated down the long slope. I yelled "Oh shit!" As I squat down slightly, trying to maintain my balance in this pitch black funhouse. David whooped as he skated like a pro, telling me he knew about this part of the tunnel but didn't warn me.

When the slope finally stopped I damn near kept going and almost crashed into the wall of the cave. Lucky for me, David still had a solid grip on my hand and yanked me back into him. I landed on his chest with an "oomf!" but soon regained my composure and giggled. David chuckled and shook his head at me, completely unfazed with our clash. I looked around, finding I could see a little easier here and noticed it was the tunnel network I wandered down last night. There was a tunnel headed for the left, but the room I spent the night in was further up on my right. David let go of my hand and pointed behind me.

"The lobby is that way." He said with a smile.

"Thanks." I tilted my head slightly "You're not coming?"

He shook his head no. "Like you said, daylight and vampires don't mix."

"Oh yeah. I'll see you tonight then."

He nods. "You staying in or going out?"

"Out. Gotta get something to eat, freshen up, you know, the mundane stuff."

He chuckled "Right, meet you on the boardwalk." He closed the gap between us, wrapping his arms around the small of my back and kissed me gently on the lips.

I rested my hands against his chest and kissed him back, blushing yet again... seriously this guy has a direct line to the blood vessels in my cheeks. I pulled back and smiled. "Good night David"

He slowly released his grip on me and smiled in return. "Laters" he said, sounding very much like a teenager from the eighties.

With that we went our separate ways. I walked towards the daylight while David returned to the shadows. Once back in the lobby I saw for myself that Marko was indeed fine. In fact he was currently passed out on the couch. He had one arm crossed over his face, the other was hanging over the side. He was still fully dressed, crazy patched jacket and all. I had a cheeky thought to wake him up by jumping on him but... it didn't feel like the right thing to do right now. Trusting my instincts I walked over, squat down and shook him awake gently instead. He grumbled something before moving his arm to crack an eye open. Like David, he had become vampiric in his sleep.

"Hey Marko." I beamed.

"Oh shit!" He hid his face the turned to me, looking human again. He blinked a few time before continuing. "Hi.."

"It's not safe out in the open like this. Why don't you go back in the cave?" I asked, still smiling away, finding his bashfulness amusing.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, grumbling "I just sat down for, like, a minute.." Then looked at me. He seemed to be staring at my neck.

"What?" I rubbed my neck. "Do I have something there?"

"You could say that" he grinned. "No prizes for guess what you got up to... Oh so that's what all the screaming was last night."

I blushed furiously and muttered "I wasn't THAT loud..." Guessing there was a hickey or a love bite on my neck...

"Ha! I knew it! You were so loud you would've made the windows shake if we had any!" He teased.

I grabbed the pillow out from under him, making him slip into the couch as I started pounding any part of him I could reach. Marko immediately held up his hands and mock yelled "Ahh! No mercy mercy!" As I assaulted him with a soft fluffy pillow. He jumped up and ran for the tin barricade with me hot on his tail, hitting his head or his back the whole time. He opened, entered and closed the tin barricade in one fluid movement. I hit the barricade with the pillow once. I could hear Marko laughing from the other side. I laughed with him and yelled "Good night" through the barricade. I kinda heard a "night" in return but it was voiced with a laugh.

Shaking my head with a grin, i dropped the pillow back on the couch and pulled my boots on, feeling so much better. I made sure my knife was where it was suppose to be, grabbed my bag and headed outside. Since I was a tad forgetful yesterday and didn't end up getting those much needed sunglasses, I had to shield my eyes from the sun with my hand. After my eyes adjusted I went to go take care of some much needed business...

After another long walk under the hot afternoon sun, my first priority was to get something to eat and drink. The boardwalk was packed with the daytime goers as usual so I kinda had to tolerate a bit of a que at one of the many food stands. Eventually I got some nacho's and bottled water. I ate as I walked, kinda window shopping for those sunglasses and a fresh set of clothes. I found a cool pair of helicopter pilot's glasses at the marketplace, close to where I hid from the Goth gang a few days ago. Hell even the proprietor with the bushy beard was there. He immediately smiled when he saw me and we exchanged some Smalltalk. He even gave me a discount for the sunnies.

Now armed with a buffer for the ever annoying sunlight I headed for one of the many clothing stands and browsed for something my style. I purchased a variety of clothes and headed for the outdoor showers again. It smarted a little when I washed the nether regions but I guess that's to be expected. Once clean I stepped out of the booth in a fresh set of clothes.

I was taking a risk and wore a black boobtube with charcoal grey denim shorts and jacket.. It was a little hot for the jacket but by having my toned stomach exposed I managed to regulate my temperature enough to be comfortable. A week ago I would never have dared to dress in such a way. If I took off my jacket someone was bound to see some of my scars but... a lot has changed in one week... David does not mind my scars at all. I know he wants to know how I got them but he seems to understand that I don't wanna talk about it... so he hasn't asked.

I had slung my bag, now full to the brim with clothes, over my shoulder and started walking aimlessly. Trying to figure out if I should share some of my sordid past with the guys. After a while I noticed I was a long ways from the boardwalk and did a 360 turn to get my bearings. I was standing outside of the library of all places in a more central part of town... I already knew it but I did it anyway... I wiped my forehead with the palm of my hand and it was flooded with an insane amount of sweat again.

"Oh God fucking dammit!" I'm sick of this shit! It's dangerous when I zone out like that! I quickly checked my hands and clothes for blood or anything I shouldn't have on my person, like body parts... After checking all of my pockets and not finding anyone's fingers in there I sighed with relief. I realized some passerbyers were giving me some extra space thanks to my outburst and laughed. With a shake of my head I entered the premises... May as well see what I can find out about my father while I'm here...

The interior of this library is like one would expect. The kids section was one side, fiction and nonfiction on the other with the librarians desk front and centre. The computers must be around back. I gotta admit, Santa Carla's library is a lot bigger than the library back in Freeo. With a shrug I walked right past the rows of literature until I found the computers. I cracked my fingers before firing up the 21st century weapon to find any information I could on John Ryder, Jim Halsey and the old highway.

By combining the three of them I found a rather grisly article about 'The Hitcher'. A hitchhiking serial killer (or mass murderer) who went on a killing spree across the county, terrorizing this Jim Halsey, even making him look like the killer for a while until Jim finally killed him. I read the article twice, looking for info about John Ryder but all they had on him was that he was like a ghost. He had no identity, no prior record, 100% off the grid.

They didn't even get a photo of him... But they did have a photo of Jim and that's how I knew this was about my father. He looked just like the kid in my dream... only his eyes were dark now, driven to murder... and I stared at his electronic image with such hatred and malice that computer could combust any minute. Halsey killed my father... What's worse is that I couldn't even kill him myself for revenge. There was a follow up article reporting that Halsey was murdered by another hitchhiker serial killer some years later. No apparent connection.

With a defeated sigh I printed the articles about 'The Hitcher' for safe keeping. I was about to shut everything down but then I had another thought... Can I find the Emmerson or Frog bro's on here? The Frog bro's would be easier. They have business and a business has a web page. I punched in "Frog Bro's Comics, Santa Carla, California" and sure enough I found their webpage. On said webpage was a photograph for their staff members. Edger held such a stoic expression on his face I couldn't help but wonder if it was forced. Alan looked more relaxed if not tired, as he went through hell recently and was damn glad it was over... and then there was Zoe... the She-wolf... Perky as ever.

"Now I know what you look like."

With a grin I printed their image and returned to the search engine. The Emmerson's will be harder to find... So I punched in "Santa Carla, Emmerson, 1987." It was a bit too vague so I kinda had to sift through a LOT of irrelevant articles until I found one about a "Home invasion gone awry". The article was old and full of speculations since the family gave an odd story to the authorities as to what happened to their home. In any case, I found an address and that is as good a place to start. Maybe I can find a photo left behind when they moved... Provided whoever is living there now is kind enough to let me look around. If not. Well I guess I'm gonna have to fall back on some old habits. I highlighted the address and printed the page. I grabbed my haul of information with a grin.

"And now I know where you lived."


	16. Four. Little. Words.

"I know where you live. I know where you hide. I know what keeps you alive... I know where you go. I know who you know. I know where you're spending your nights..."

I was singing "I know where you live" by Alice Cooper as I walked quickly out of the library. Hell I was practically skipping from being in that good a mood. Once outside I could see that it was already getting dark and it would undoubtedly be well and truly night time before I can get to the board walk. There was simply no more room left in my bag at the moment. So I rolled up my treasure trove of information and stuffed it into my back pocket. I started making my way towards, what is now, the best place on Earth.

...

The boardwalk was busy as always with teenagers and young adults alike. Many were carrying shopping bags or prizes from the nearby fairgrounds, talking animatedly with their friends or partners. Not many people seemed to be walking alone these days. I was making my way to the railing overlooking the beautiful ocean when I caught a flash of something purple. I immediately stopped and looked to my left, trying to drown out the endless sea of faces in the crowd. Trying almost franticly to find that vibrant flash of purple that made me think of an amethyst necklace.

I thought I could see a long mane of feminine hair when I'm distracted by a loud and boisterous "Oi!" I turned to see my mate Jimmy waving his hand above the crowd and started making his way towards me, grinning his usual goofy grin. I looked back to try and see that particular mane of black hair or that flash or purple but it was no use. The sea of flesh had swallowed my prey...

'Woah where did that come from?'

My thoughts were interrupted by a solid slap to my back "Hey Liz!"

I stumbled forward then whirled around with an "oof" since that kinda sent a jolt to my ribs but it wasn't too bad. "Hey Jimmy, wassup mate?" He was dressed in his usual outfit of a white singlet and normal blue jeans, dog tags 'n' all.

"Not much" he chimed "been looking for ya actually."

"Oh yeah? What for? Find another gig already?" I couldn't help but notice there was something a little off about him...

"Nah not yet but... um.." He cocked his head slightly and I saw a look of concern flash within his eyes.

"Out with it Jimbo, what's up?" I thumbed the strap for my bag as I shifted my weight to one leg.

He scratched the spot behind his ear, his tell for when he's worried about something. "Well... There's a rumour around town that you've been hanging out with a... gang. A gang that's been causing quite a bit of trouble on both the boardwalk and the fairgrounds... That's quite a few territories these newcomers are stepping on." He eyed me suspiciously.

My stomach tied into a knot but I played it cool. "Shit that was fast... I'm still kinda new in town. Who the hell would notice me?" I tried to fish for who the informant was, completely ignoring his inference to getting caught up in a gang war.

Either Jimmy caught onto my bait or he didn't think it was important. He waved his hand dismissively and gave the that big brother you're-so-in-trouble look. "Ah, your performance the other night would've gotten ya noticed but who cares!? What the hell do you think you're doing running with a gang!?"

I folded my arms and stood my ground "Chill out Jimmy, It's not like they're the Coffin Cheaters back home. They're just a gang of guys who hang out together, not organised crime."

He looked at me like I was nuts, then offended. "Don't take me for a fool mate! They're a GANG! Gangs get up to no good like theft, vandalism and clash with other gangs! You can't get caught up in shit like that!"

"I can handle myself just fine Jimmy! I don't need you watching over me like a fucking vulture!" I yelled at him, angry that he was trying to tell me how to live my life... again.

"Vulture!?" He yelled right back. "I'm not the one trying to scavenge for your livelihood! I am TRYING to help you! What about your reputation!? Who the fuck is gonna hire you if they know you're associated with a gang!? I am NOT gonna let you put yourself in danger! Shit it's like you got a death wish or something!"

I yelled right back "They actually helped me to get another guitar while YOU didn't even believe I was in an accident! They are not scavenging me for my livelihood! And don't talk to me about death wishes soldier boy!"

"Oh you wanna go there!?" Yelled Jimmy as he folded his arms.

"Yeah lets go there!"

"You'd gone back home! I THOUGHT you were safe and off the damn streets! I NEEDED to get out of there! That's why I signed up for a term of service! Can't you understand that!?"

This argument was a long time in the making... It's not the first time Jimmy and I had bickered like this and it won't be the last... "I DID go back home but I wasn't safe! I was NEVER safe back home. Why couldn't you understand THAT!?"

"It's not like you ever tell me what's going on for you! Every time I ask, you change the subject or run off. What's so horrible that you feel like you have to hide it from me!?"

I stepped forward and pointed my finger right at his chest. "That is none of your fucking business Jimmy! If I don't wanna tell you something then you'd better respect that!" 'Seriously... How can you tell your best friend that you were abused... a lot... AND you're a psycho killer... unless they themselves are a killer... but it's different with Jimmy. He's not like David and the guys.'

Jimmy closed the gap between us and grabbed my shoulders. His face was barely an inch away from mine... so much so I was beginning to feel uncomfortable... Jimmy has never done this before. "Listen to me luv I care about you. I-"

A cool sly voice sliced through the argument. "Is this guy bothering you Elizabeth?"

Jimmy had let me go on reflex. I turn to see David standing quite casually with his hands in his pockets. While his body language was relaxed his face was ridgit with barely contained anger. He was more or less murdering Jimmy with his eyes. I stole a glance at my old friend to see he was pulling a similar expression right back at David... Only he had squared his shoulders and is ready for a fight.  
My eyes wondered back and forth between them at the speed of light as David's voice rang in my ears. 'If I ever catch you with anyone else... I'll tear their fucking throat out.'

Knowing he damn well he meant it I knew I had to defuse this situation NOW!

I put on my best 'it's all good' smile to David "No not at all, we bicker often don't we Jimmy?"

Jimmy absently hummed, still staring at David with an even darker expression than before. "He knows your name?" He knew very well that I don't give my name to anyone. Ever.

Before I could answer David spoke up, right next to my ear. "Are you going to introduce me to your... friend?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see David right behind me, his chin hovered just above my shoulder, smirking darkly at Jimmy who had quite visibly tensed up. "Yeah, sure." I played it cool again, trying to keep this potentially catastrophic situation from reaching it's flash point.

"David, this is my best friend Jimmy. We've been friends for years." I motioned towards Jimmy, then back to David. "Jimmy, this is David, He's..." How can I describe what we are? Friends with benefits? Boyfriend/girlfriend? Can you be a couple when you've just met? I didn't know.

David smiled probably one of the creepiest smiles I had ever seen as he slinked his arm around my waist. He pulled me against him and never broke eye contact with Jimmy who looked like he was ready to explode... I'd never seen him this rattled. "Her friend."

The way David said "friend" spoke beyond friendship, which Jimmy heard loud and clear. He clenched his fists and increased his glare. "You're dating him? Lemme guess, you're the leader of that new gang aren't you?" Then he directed his attention to me. "Never saw that coming..."

He didn't approve. His 'I'm-very-disappointed-in-you' tone made me internally cringe but I held my ground. "Yes I am dating him." I decided not to answer his query about David being the leader of the gang or not.

David's grin broadened at my public declaration and tilted his head as he spoke. "You got a problem with that private dipshit?" He challenged Jimmy.

I visibly cringed at that and moved to give David a warning glare. He kept his grip on my waist firm though, preventing me from moving away from him at all. Jimmy flinched as he suppressed the urge to attack. Instead he smiled bitterly, decided to keep the peace like he always did. "Even if I did, it doesn't matter." He looked to me then back at David. "She's old enough to make her own decisions..."

"You just noticed that?" Challenged David again. Sheesh he's really looking for a fight.

Jimmy stared at his feet for a second then looked back at me. He looked... Sad. "I think I'll take my leave. I hope my warning hasn't fallen on deaf ears. See you later Liz."

"Have a good one Jimmy" came my reply.

I watched my friend hang his head in defeat and disappear into the crowd. Finally, I managed to get out of David's vice like grip and turned to glare at him. I had to admit I wasn't expecting him to be glaring right back.

"What the fuck was that about man!?" I yelled as I flicked my arms out.

"You tell me!" He yelled right back "What the hell were you doing standing this close to him!?"

David had closed the gap between us to mimic how close Jimmy was standing with me... I can only imagine how that would've looked. I took a step back and scoffed at the accusation. "Oh come on David! We're just friends! I'm not attracted to Jimmy at all."

"He's attracted to you" countered David matter of factly.

"Oh pull the other one. He's like a brother to me." I tried to dismiss his behaviour to brotherly over protectiveness.

"I'm serious! I don't want you anywhere near him!" His eyes flashed something darkly but I couldn't identify what that was.

"You can't tell me who I can and can't see David!" I mirrored his expression of 'I'm-not-putting-up-with-your-shit' kinda look.

"Don't want me stopping you from see that dipshit of a boyfriend!?" He challenged.

"Stop calling him that and he's NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" My face contorted into a look of pure rage representing the torrent of anger raging with.

I couldn't stop myself. My hand was already flying, set on a collision course with his cheek before I even realised it was in motion. David caught my hand before it made contact and half dragged, half threw me into a nearby alley. I stumbled forward then spun on my heel with every intention to beat the living shit out of him. He was already in front of me and quickly caught me in the hook of his arm. He threw me into the wall with enough force to wind me and before I knew it he had me pinned.

My back was pressed right up against the brick wall while David straddled my waist, keeping me still with his pelvis crushed up against my own. My hands flew to punch him but he caught me and pinned them above my head. His lips crashed against mine with so much force it hurt. He growled as his lips devoured mine with so much dominance I couldn't help but feel weak in the knee. He bit my lower lip so hard I yelped, inadvertently opening my mouth for him to plunder.  
I tried to push myself off the wall and get the use of my hands back but he just crashed me back against it. He growled again as he looked me in the eye with his tongue still ravaging my mouth. There was an intoxicating mixture of possessiveness, anger and desire in his eyes, like a fire burning out of control. I literally melted into him. My eyes rolled shut with a moan as I felt the heat rush to all the right places.

I could feel him smile as he guided my arms around his neck as he ran his hands along my body. He deliberately trailed his hands across my exposed stomach, making me squirm as he slithered them around the small of my back. He had me and he knew it. He ended the kiss slowly, capturing my now swollen lips one last time before resting his forehead against mine. I panted to catch my breath and finally opened my eyes to see he no longer looked so pissed off... And quite frankly neither was I.

He cupped my cheek and said one word. "Mine."

"Yours" I reassured in barely a whisper. "He's just my friend from back home, I swear."

David nods and finally let me come off the wall. Still holding my cheek, he leaned in to kiss me gently, almost apologetically. To show him there were no hard feelings between us I returned his kiss. My hands remained around his neck as I pressed my body against his. I felt his lips curl into a slight smile as he deepened the kiss, holding me close. Somewhere, somehow, I could hear... no... feel a whisper of fear. It was small, well masked, buried deeply but I could feel it coming from his very core.

'Is he afraid that I'd leave him? Is David actually afraid of something?'

The very idea seemed preposterous but this echo of an emotion made me think of the name "Star".

'A traitor... That's what he said when I asked about, what I assume to be a her before... Was she an old flame? Did she leave David for someone else? That being the case it must've hurt...'

But I couldn't sense anything else. To be honest I was kinda glad I couldn't because it felt like an invasion of privacy. I was pulled from my thoughts when David moved from my lips and began to leave a trail of kisses down my throat. I couldn't help but moan and shiver with pleasure. He purred as he grazed his teeth along my neck, trailing back up to my ear.

He whispered "This is not a very secluded spot... We should stop" and pulled back to look me in the eye

.  
I actually groaned, which earned a chuckle from David. I was so hot and bothered I didn't care but... He was right... I'd be so embarrassed about screwing out in the open like this later... Once I'd cooled down.

I breathed "ok" in a shaky breath, giving away my extreme state of arousal.

David kissed me gently and murmured against my lips "we'll finish this later. I promise" and pulled back with his signature smirk.

I purred "I'll hold you to that", making his eyes widen slightly.

His smirk turned into a full on grin as he lowered his arms. He had 'accidently' trailed his hand over my butt, making me blush even more. "I like your new look" and purred "sexy" with a wink.

I almost died! I shoved him back with an embarrassed laugh which made him chuckle as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. David lead me out of the alley without a care in the world. People just seemed to get out of our way, not daring to hinder our movements as we strolled down the boardwalk. I leaned into him slightly as I wrapped my arm around the small of his back, resting my hand on his hip. He looked down to me with a genuine smile before directing his attention to the path before us.

Up ahead was Dwayne rubbing his hands on the bandanna he usually kept trailing from the back of his pants. He looked up as we approached and immediately smiled. He tied the red cloth to a lapel on the back of his pants and casually strolled towards us. Without letting me go David and Dwayne exchanged what I've dubbed to be the 'bro handshake'.

"You found her." Stated Dwayne matter of factly as he smiled at me.

"Hard to miss in this outfit" Winking at me which made me blush like crazy. "She was at the usual spot." Shrugged David.

I grinned, trying to ignore and will away my blush. "Hey Dwayne."

"Hey little sista' What's shaking?" He grinned back, finally warming up to me. He also gave me a once over with an approving nod. I guess he thought my new look worked too.

"Oh the usual. A little death, destruction and drama y'know?" I beamed, leaning into David slightly as he rubbed my arm.

Dwayne laughed a rather charming laugh. "Sounds like a party, why wasn't I invited?" He pouted.

"Sorry bro, private party" I tapped my head "But I'll make a public one soon" and winked with a cheeky smile.

I dunno why but both David and Dwayne ginned when I said 'bro'. They chuckled at my inference of madness all the same. I looked around and saw Paul and Marko were MIA. "So where's Paul and Marko? Bird-dogging chicks?" I was so glad I knew a few eighties terminologies.

Dwayne grinned. "Probably but they were grabbing a bite to eat first." He had raised and lowered his eyebrows when he said 'bite'. Telling me they were feeding.

I quirked an eyebrow and looked to both of them. "What about you two? Have you had a ... 'bite to eat' yet?"

They answered in unison "Yeah" with a smile. Then David looked more serious and asked "Have you eaten yet?"

I waved my hand dismissively "I ate this arvo. I'm fine for now."

David frowned "You should eat more."

I shook my head with a smile "Slow metabolism mate but I will get something later ok?" I asked, not wanting to start another argument.

He seemed satisfied with this and gave a curt nod, telling me this wasn't over. At that moment a mess of wild blond hair whizzed past and clipped Dwayne over the back of his head. He retaliated with a quick jab and made contact in Paul's arm. He stood tall and laughed, rubbing his arm slightly as Dwayne grinned triumphantly. I was too distracted by their antics to notice Marko creeping up behind me. He grabbed my hips and shook me as he yelled "HEY WHATCHYA DOIN'?" Which of course, made me jump with a yelp, right into David's chest.

He moved with me so I wouldn't fall over and laughed his ass off. I got out of David's grip and whirled around to the grinning Marko. Within a flash I had tackled him to the ground. He was laughing as he landed on his butt, holding me tightly so I'd land on him instead of the floor. He tickled my ribs which made me squirm off of him with a rather insane giggle. I scrambled to my feet just as Marko did.

He raised his hands to tickle me again and I quickly dashed behind David. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kinda shielded me from Marko's twitchy fingers. I looked at Marko with huge manic eyes and a wild grin that just cracked him up. In fact everyone one was laughing at this point until I felt someone grab something from my back pocket. I looked to see Paul with a rather curious expression on his face as he began to open my rolled up notes.

"Hey what's this?" He asked with a grin.

"Ah! That's my recon work for you guys." I beamed, not minding that he grabbed it at all.

He opened it properly and handed some of the pages to Dwayne without even looking. "Oh no way! That's what they look like now!?" He looked up in astonishment.

"Lemme see." David took the paper as Marko tried to reach for it but quickly dashed to David's side instead.

"Far out! The Frog bro's look exactly the same... Just bigger! Dwayne check this out!" Called Marko while Paul looked like he was in shock.

"Who's the babe?" Asked the shell shocked Paul.

"Zoe" I answered. "I think she's a she-wolf but she's definitely someone's squeeze." I chimed.

"Useful" mumbled David, cogs obviously turning in his head. "She-wolf huh?" He quirked an eyebrow as he glanced at me.

"Call it a hunch" I shrugged then looked to Dwayne. "Do you wanna see this?"

Dwayne glanced up from what he was reading and handed a separate page back to Paul. He looked at me and asked "The Hitcher?"

"ooh shit, That one's for me." I muttered as I reached towards the article about my father. Much to my surprise Dwayne gave it back as he strolled over to get a look at the Frog brothers.

"Who's The Hitcher?" Asked Marko as he tore his eyes away from Edgar's face.

"A hitch hiking serial killer who went on a rampage." Answered Dwayne as he stared at the images for the Frog brothers.

"Why do you have an article about that?" Asked Marko, tilting his head at me with a slight look of confusion.

Again Dwayne answered for me, not letting me keep anything from them. "Because the Hitcher's name is John Ryder."

I glared at Dwayne, wishing he'd shut up as all of them asked "Ryder" collectively. David gave the page to Marko then strolled over to me. "Relative of yours?"  
I stared at him in silence for a moment before taking a deep breath. "He's my father."

He looked a little surprised but it quickly melted into a slight smile. "I guess it runs in the family." He winked which made me smile. "So your Dad is a serial killer huh?"

"He was..." I answered sadly. "According to that article he died fifteen years ago."

He pulled me into a warm hug. My cheek was pressed against his chest as he rested his chin on top of my head. "I'm sorry... Were you two close?"

I sniffled as I suppressed the tears that threatened to fall... I was a little surprised to be this upset but I did have high hopes to find him alive and well... "I don't remember. I was hoping to find out."

We held onto each other for a while until Paul broke the comfortable silence. "I see you've highlighted the Emmerson's home address."

"You didn't have to do that." Beamed Marko. "We know where they lived."

I pulled away from David with a smile. "Well I didn't. Wanna check the place out?"

"I very much doubt they're still there." Claimed David, still holding the small of my back as we faced the guys.

"Maybe they left a forwarding address?" I suggested with a shrug. "Or maybe they left behind a photo or something? I need to know what they look like so I can find them."

"You'd do that for us?" Asked Paul, looking quite touched by the notion.

"Totally" came my sincere reply, nodding my head as I spoke.

They all smiled warmly and David gave a nod of confirmation. "Alright, lets check out the Emmerson house. But first. Lets eat." He smirked at me.

I was about to protest but there was a collective "hell yeah's" followed by a chorus of suggestions on what to have.

"How about Pizza?" Asked Marko.

"Nah, too much tomato paste." Dismissed Paul, earning a pout from Marko. "How about burgers?"

"Nah uh, not in the mood for greasy meat and sloppy sauce." Chimed Marko. Paul poked his tongue out in response.

"How about Chinese?" Offered Dwayne.

"Hmm.. Yeah I'm down for that" grinned Paul.

"Excellent choice my man!" Fist pumped Marko.

David has nod in agreement as they all turned to look at me. My eyes had lit up like Christmas trees at the thought of having Chinese. I clasped my hands together and literally hopped on the spot. "Oh yes please!"

"You like Chinese huh?" Cooed David as he smirked. I didn't see the mischief in his eyes.

"Uh huh! That's a delicacy! A real treat for me!" I grinned simply unable to stand still.

"Then it's decided. Chinese it is." Announced David.

As a group we all headed towards the restaurant. I was too caught up in the conversation to realise we were going in the wrong direction. We had accidently walked into the seedier part of town. We stopped in front of a... Porn den. I looked around and immediately shrank into David's side. He looked down and quirked an eyebrow which had temporarily masked his look of confusion and embarrassment. Make no mistake. I'm not nervous about getting into trouble or a fight of some kind. I'm nervous about being recognised by people I really don't wanna see.

"Um... I guess they moved." Offered Paul as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"My bad guys. I'm really sorry, we should go back the way we came."

"I think this one's on us little sista', we are kinda distracting." Smiled Dwayne.

"Very true, come on lets go." I tried to get them to move quickly but they continued to walk casually.

David glanced down again and asked. "What's the rush? You know we can handle a scrap right?" He frowned slightly at that.

"No i know but.."

"Well would you look at that!" Cooed an all too familiar voice behind us. "How the mighty have fallen!"

I looked like I was gonna be sick. We all stopped dead in our tracks and turned to see a rather scraggy looking hooker with Auburn hair and cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Mother was dressed in lingerie with a fishnet dress and calf high boots. She was flanked by her 'Mole patrol' friends, dressed in skimpy clothes that barely covered their asses. As if sensing my disgust, none of the Lost Boy's smiled. I hadn't bothered to turn around yet for I was bracing myself for the undoubtedly sour conversation that was about to follow. I finally turned with a very dark smile.

"Hello mother darling dearest." I cooed "How's the shoulder?"

Her mocking smile dropped as she subconsciously reached for the angry looking stitches. "You'll pay for that you little slut."

"That's your mother?" Whispered Paul in bewilderment and I nod in response. David spoke up in a very cold tone. "I'd watch what you'd say wench."

"Oooh is that a threat from your man precious? How adorable" Mocked the insufferable woman. "Have you fucked him yet?" She challenged, making the skanks behind her laugh.

I launched myself towards her but was caught by David. "SAY THAT AGAIN YOU FUCKING CUNT! SAY IT AGAIN!" I wrestled to get out of his grip.

"You have!" She grinned triumphantly then laughed that wicked witch laugh.

David's grip tightened painfully around my arm as his hissed into my ear. "Stop! Too public. Too many witnesses." He glanced up to direct my attention to the crowd that had formed around us.

I stoped struggling and huffed in frustration. He was right dammit. So I stood and chose my words carefully. I looked my mother in the eye and spoke so calmly that it was a little unnerving. "One day mother. You are going to say four little words to me. You won't know when that day comes... but it will." I don't know why these four words are so important... but I just know they are.

All the colour drained from my mothers face. It seems she's heard that statement before. "Four little words..." She echoed and backed away from me.

Just as I'd always known, she was a fucking coward without Jake. Her pimp. Her lover. I smiled cruelly and saw in my peripheral vision that the guys were smiling too. "Jake will say the same words too mother. You both will."

With that I turned to walk away. David cooed. "See you real soon." then turned to follow me.

"Laters baby" chimed Marko with a much more twisted version of his grin and followed suit.

"We gotta hang out again" added Paul as he hopped after us.

"It'll be one hell of a ride" winked Dwayne as brought up the rear.

The crowed parted and let the deadly group pass. They knew. Somehow they knew they should be very afraid of us.


	17. How you gonna see me now?

I was walking. Where to I don't know. I just needed to put some distance between my mother and I. My breaths were fast and heavy as I fought to keep what little contents that were in my stomach down. My heart was pounding in my ears and my head was threatening to explode. All I could see was red and all I could hear was the sound of a baby screaming... That horrible scream of pain and distress. The urge to kill was pulsing in sync with the pounding in my head.

'Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. KILL HER!'

I closed my eyes to try and tune it out but the screaming baby just seemed to get louder... I know who it is... And I know what he want's... But it's just not the right time. You can't be clumsy with these things, can't rush them or the cops will find you. I just wish he'd stop haunting me. But then I get nagged with a thought. Maybe I'm just too chicken shit to kill my own mother?

There was a flash of red, like blood had been thrown into my eyes. Someone else is screaming now. I see a flash of silver as I bring my knife up over my head and bring it back down again with a snarl. David was laughing that dark laugh of his... It echoed in my very soul. Paul yelled "Do it again!" So I did. There was a collective "OOH!" Followed by more laughter...

I blinked and saw I was at the boardwalk. How I got here I don't know, but I'm sitting on the railing I usually lean against during the day. David was holding my hips, making sure I didn't fall off. Dwayne was leaning his hip onto the railing with his arms folded, staring at the crowd. Marko was squatting on the railing, showing off one hell of a balancing trick. Paul was hanging onto the railing and leaning back. They all seemed to be watching out for something, like scouts... accept for David... He was watching me.

After a couple of blinks I focused on his eyes. David smiled "There you are."

I tilt my head to the side. "Did I leave?"

"In a manner of speaking" Smirked David.

"She speaks!" Exclaimed Paul as all eyes turned on me.

"Are you ok?" Asked Marko. Dwayne seemed to be asking the same question with his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Asked David, slipping one hand to squeeze my thigh.

"Worried." Came my answer as I cupped my forehead. Sure enough it was flooded with sweat. "Oh shit.."

I examined my hands and found blood under my nails. Swallowing thickly, I quickly pat my pockets down. Then checked to see if my knife was still in my boot. It wasn't. But before I had a chance to panic, David fished it out of the inside of his coat and gave it back. I opened the blade subtly and saw that some blood was stuck in the groves of its design but it had already dried. With a sigh I closed the blade and put it back in my boot.

"Who copped it?" I asked as I stared at my feet.

"You don't remember?" asked Paul, sounding concerned.

I shook my head no.

"Some guy you grabbed off the street" answered David.

"What did I do?" I was rubbing my arm. For some reason it was sore.

"Well you stabbed him about thirty seven time then gave him a permanent smile." Answered Dwayne in a matter of fact kinda tone As he dragged his thumb around his throat.

I shivered. That explained why my arm was tired. "The body?" I stole a glance into David's eyes.

"We took care of it." He assured me. He was drawing a circle with his thumb as he squeezed my thigh a little tighter, grounding me as it were. "How often do you black out?"

"At least once a day. Sometimes I just walk and nothing happens... or I cleaned myself up REALLY good... I don't know why I black out."

"It could be your clairvoyance?" Offered Dwayne.

"Or a psychosis." I countered, stealing a glance at him.

"Or both" he countered with a smile.

"Maybe.." I looked to my feet again.

A gloved hand tilted my chin up "You're just a little off balance, you'll be ok." David smiled, looking so damn confident with his statement. "You haven't quite made peace with yourself yet. But you will."

"That's why I black it out?"

"I think so" he nods.

I couldn't help but feel a little better but still frowned. "How do you know?"

"I just do." He smirked. "Or maybe I'm speaking from experience?" He eluded, sounding shifty as he did.

I chuckled "What you were a psycho too?" I teased, not really believing him.

"Were?" Laughed Marko.

"Still is sista, he just has more style." Grinned Paul with a wink.

"Nah doesn't count. He's a vamp, of course he's a psycho." I grinned. "In fact all of you are."

David laughed "we weren't always vampires."

"I see. So you're saying that by becoming a vampire you became more stable? I call bullshit!" I grinned "There is no way the killer instinct of a murderer amplified with the predatory nature of a vampire leads to a stable mind. You would've gone on a rampage!"

"I did" grinned David darkly, sending a chill up my spine. "Wiped out an entire town before I got it out of my system. Now I just enjoy the thrill every time I feed... It kinda just, made everything click into the right place." He tapped his head.

My jaw was somewhere in China again. A small puff of air escaped me as I felt an odd rush to my... Libido?

'What?... Oh I am not wired right...'

I blushed. Embarrassed by being both excited and aroused about David not only being a psycho... but being guilty of a rampage too. David had leaned in so that his face was in the crook of my neck. He inhaled deeply, scenting me, making me even more aroused and my blush even worse. A sly smile crept onto his face as he pulled back... He knew.

I tried to recover and blinked a few times before speaking. "Well that's a story I would very much like to hear..." I swallowed, trying to control my breathing.

David smirked and lifted his hand from my thigh to tisk me. "Uh ah baby, you owe us a story first."

I narrowed my eyes at 'baby' and fought to stop myself from smiling. "And what story do you wanna hear?"

"Your origins would be good." Chimed Paul.

"But your history with Mrs. Ryder is what grabbed our attention" cooed David.

"Ms Collier. She dropped Ryder when we moved." I sighed... I guess it's time. "Those two stories are tightly woven together so I might as well start from the beginning. But this is not a story for the public to hear."

"Wait back up a sec." Blurted Marko. "Moved?"

"Wasn't your dad killed on the old highway?" Asked Dwayne, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yup... Looks like I'm a California girl after all. In fact, I might actually be from here. Santa Carla." I pointed to the ground a few times as I spoke.

"Far out! That's awesome!" Grinned Paul.

"Why didn't you say that before?" Asked Dwayne.

"I only just put that together after reading the article about my father."

"So, born here but raised overseas. I'm hooked, I gotta hear the rest!" Chimed Paul.

"Yes. Enquiring minds want to know." Agreed David as he pulled me from the railing. "But first. Marko?"

"Yeah?"

"Food."

His Cheshire cat grin graced his face once more. "On it" and took off.

"Oh wait!" Yelled Paul, making Marko stop on the other side of the street and raise his arms as if to say 'what?' Paul turned to me and asked "Chicken, beef or fish?"

"Huh?"

"What do you like best?" He beamed.

"Oh.. umm.. Chicken?" I shrugged and looked a little confused. "The restaurant is to your left." I point ahead then indicated to curve left.

"Ok!" He ran off after Marko yelling "Chicken!" Then they both disappeared into the crowd.

I stood there for a minute with the 'WTF' look on my face. Then burst into a fit of laughter. I just had a mental image of Paul imitating a chicken, flapping his arms and clucking away with his wild hair flowing with every bob of his head. David had rather sneakily slithered his arm around the small of my back and pulled me into him as we walked towards their bikes. He was smiling as he fished his packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit himself up.

He took a drag from his cigarette before asking "Felling better?"

I smiled and snuggled into him. "Much better."

"Sheesh you two, get a room." Teased Dwayne.

"Business before pleasure" crooned David, making my blush return.

I grinned. "You guys have no shame." and giggled.

"You love it" claimed Dwayne with a wink.

"Totally." I beamed.

David offered me his cigarette and for some bloody reason I took it. I was examining it was we walked and gave it a sniff. It smelt a little different from mother's cigarettes but it still smelt foul all the same. I looked up to see David watching, waiting to see what I'd do. So I took a very small drag... and immediately coughed up my lungs. David and Dwayne laughed as I handed him back his cigarette and turned my face away from them.

"How can you *cough* put that shit *cough* in your lungs!?"

David chuckled "You get used to it." And took another drag.

'God you'd think with being a passive smoker I'd be able to handle a proper cigarette by now.'

When I finally managed to stop coughing I asked "Where are we going?"

"To a more secluded spot so we can talk." Answered David smoothly.

"Where?" I dragged out playfully.

"It's a surprise." He winked before flicking his cigarette bud away.

"Oh? I like surprises" I said sarcastically.

It wasn't long after that we reached their bikes. Dwayne had squat down to examine something on his ride as David mounted his. He held out his hand for me and I took it without a second thought. He smiled as he guided me to sit behind him, Holding my hand to his shoulder for a moment. I leaned forward and rested my chin on top of our hands and smiled back at him. He broke eye contact when Dwayne muttered "damn" under his breath. I slid back down and leaned to my left to see what was up.

"We're gonna need some serious overhauls to keep up with the competition these days." Dwayne looked up before returning his attention to his bike and going into the details with David.

I tried to pay attention but the mechanics of how an engine works or what parts you need to make it awesome but it was all double Dutch to me. I pressed my ear to David's back and listened to his voice rumble from deep within. Naturally he didn't have a heartbeat to listen to but.. oh well. Paul and Marko zoomed in from nowhere, carrying bags of food under their arms like they were guarding it with their lives. They quickly stuffed them into their carry cases and mounted their rides. We all kicked our engines into gear and took off into the night.

...

We rode out of town, much to my surprise, and ended up at a nice secluded picnic area, overlooking the point. You could see the lighthouse in the distance and there was a beach below the site. It looked like there were some surf board stashed down there for a little night surfing too . I was standing on the ledge, enjoying the view... Completely lost in thought about just what I was going to tell them. Could I trust them with the truth. Can I expose myself that much to these guys and not suffer a negative response?

I held my arms as the cool sea breeze blew in. Dwayne was busy lighting the fire pit left for picnickers and campers alike. Paul, and Marko were fetching the food from their rides and setting up the camp. David stalked his way behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and took in the view for a moment with me. It felt so good to be in his arms... I never knew just how lonely I really was before...

David nuzzled my neck before asking "What are you thinking about?"

I sighed as I leaned into him. "Just thinking about how much has changed so quickly... Reflecting on things... trying to organise my thoughts so I can tell you guys what's up."

"Take your time..." David turned me around and cupped my face. "Nothing can shock us but you don't have to tell us anything... We just wanna know you. I want to know you."

I held his hand to my face and looked him in the eye. "That works both ways David."

He nods. "If you wanna stay with us... We'll tell you everything there is to know."

I was gonna say "duh! Of course I wanna stay with you" but he cut me off with a kiss. It was gentle, cautious... Almost like he's warning me about something but also pleading with me to stay... Sometimes this clairvoyance thing can be incredibly vague... That or I'm easily distracted by a certain sexy vampire... I'm gonna go with the latter. He broke the kiss quickly and steered me towards the campsite. The guys were already seated, throwing boxes of food at each other along with a couple of bottles of booze.

'Who would've thought they could be so organised?'

With a shrug I sat down Indian styles next to Marko, David plopped down next to me and stretched his legs out, Paul and Dwayne sat on the other side of the fire. Dwayne tossed a box to David with a pair of chopsticks drilled into it as Marko handed me a box with a plastic fork. I opened it to see it was chicken and noodles.

I looked up with a smile "Thanks guys."

"No problem" Came from Paul as he tossed a bottle of beer my way.

I caught it and set it by my feet. Armed with a fork, I started digging through my box of food, staring at it with a critical eye. I heard a snicker and looked up to see Marko trying to hide that grin of his.

"... What?" I smiled to him.

"Nothing" he countered too quickly.

"What are you trying to kill your food or something?" Teased Paul. "The chicken is already dead."

I laughed as I stabbed a piece of chicken and raised it out of the box. "Nah. I've had fly blown food before... Granted I was too desperate at the time to give a damn... but it didn't taste so good. Not at all. Good source of protein though." I bit the piece of chicken in half and examined what was left on my fork. Happy with it, I popped the rest in and chewed enthusiastically.

"You ate bugs?" Asked Dwayne.

"I was starving. Ate right out the dumpster." I shrugged and kept eating.

"Why didn't you have any money or just steal the food?" Asked David as he popped some noodles into his mouth, using his chopsticks like a pro.

I was a little distracted by his tongue, which earned a smirk from him. I quickly looked back into my food. "I was like... five years old and was a lousy pick pocket then."

"You ran away when you were five?" Asked Marko.

"Yeah.."

"Why?" Asked David in that cool tone of his.

"Ah... Now that's the sixty four thousand dollar question." I sighed, staring at the ground.

I stabbed my food and put it down, hugging my knees to my chest as I stared into the fire. I took a deep breath and decided to tell them everything. I re-told the story that's been in the back of my head for fifteen years. I saw it in my mind as clear as day. As if it happened yesterday. I spoke as I relieved my past in a freaken flashback.

...Flashback...

I was so small back then, everything was too big or too high... Had to learn how to climb just to make sure I could get something to eat. I was playing in my room when I heard the baby screaming. Daddy never got to see the baby, mummy made him leave before the baby was born... So he can't make the baby stop crying. It doesn't sound like mummy is going to either so I put my dinosaurs down and ran out my room.

I had to jump to reach the door handle for the baby's room. The room was a mess. Used nappies and empty milk bottles were scattered all over the floor along with some cigarette buds and broken needles. There was a rickety old wooden chair close by that I use to read stories to the baby. Daddy said it was important to practice reading... even if the words are hard.

I pushed the chair over and climbed up so I could look into the crib. There laid my baby brother, crying his little heart out. He was already blue in the face and his super big singlet always looks like it's gonna fall off. I stared at the bruises on his arm and noticed the little dots in the middle of his arm. I looked over the shoulder and frowned at the broken needles on the floor. I looked back into his eyes and blocked my ears for a moment.

I never understood why his eyes were brown. Daddy and me have grey eyes. Mummy has green eyes. So why does he have brown eyes? I shook my head. It's not the time to think about stuff like that.

"Marven. Why are you crying?... Are you hungry? Is that what's wrong?"

I saw a shadow move in the corner of my eye and got cross. "Go away!"

The shadow stopped moving. Stupid boogie man. Marven needs help I can't deal with the boogie man right now. I picked up my screaming brother, which only seemed to make him scream even louder, and awkwardly climbed down from the chair. I held him close and tightly... He was so heavy but I know I can do it. He grabbed my David Bowie T-shirt and squeezed with all his might. My torn slack pants got caught on a splinter on the chair as I started walking and it tore some more but I didn't care.

Very carefully I climbed down the stairs, taking one step at a time, flicking my messy long hair out of my face as I did. Marven screamed so much his lips turned blue... but no amount of coaxing and pleading will make him stop. We made it to the kitchen and I put him down to the tiled floor. I jumped to catch the counter and pulled myself up. Once I was sitting on the counter I could reach the special baby powder.

I walked on top of the counter until I reached the cupboard with the baby bottles. It was empty. I looked around and saw a clean one was on top of the fridge. I put the tin down on the bench next to the fridge and stood on top of that. I reached up on my tippy toes get the bottle. Just as I got it, the tin slipped and fall on the floor, only just missing Marvin. I fall too and landed right next to him, landing on my arm.

I sat there frozen for a moment but I didn't cry. It hurt so much but I didn't cry. Mummy said I'm a freak because I don't cry when I'm hurt. But Daddy said it's ok. We cry for different reasons. I sat up and rubbed my arm as I looked at Marvin. He was ok. Still screaming but nothing landed on him. The tin that held the baby powder opened when it hit the floor and the powder had gone everywhere.

Now it's all dirty. I can't give Marven dirty milk. He needs Mummy's milk. I picked him up only to find it was really hard to hold onto him now. My arm was hurting a lot... It doesn't matter Marven needs help. I get up, taking my brother with me as I slowly climbed up the stairs again. This time i went to Mummy's room. It was right at the top of the stairs so that was good... My arms are so tired.

I pressed my ear up against the door and covered Marvin's mouth, muffling his cries so I can listen. She was making bedroom noises. I'm not suppose to bug her when she's making bedroom noises. I let go of Marvin's mouth so scream like usual and knocked on the door. A man yelled "PISS OFF!" And Mummy laughed. I juggled Marven in my arms as he wriggled about and screamed even louder than before.

I kicked the door three times yelling "Marven is hungry!"

"Oh for the love of. Shut that trap up!" Yelled Mummy from the other side of the door.

Between kicks I yelled "MARVEN. IS. HUNGRY!"

The door flew open and it looks like Mummy forgot to put her clothes on. "I'm working you little freak!"

I was tring to give her Marven but she shoved me really hard and slammed the door in my face. My ankle twisted as I fall backwards. I lost my balance and fall down the stairs. I screamed as I bounced down several steps, hitting my butt, my arm, my neck, then my butt again until I finally hit the floor. I hit my head really hard and everything was all fuzzy... and quiet. And that's what scared me the most.

After a few blinks I could see properly again and slowly sat up. Something thick and warm dripped down my face. I touched it and saw it was blood. I was starting to feel funny but why was it so quiet? I looked around and saw Marven lying so still ahead of me. He wasn't crying anymore.

I couldn't stand up so I scooted over to my brother and gasped. His neck was all twisted. His eyes were all wrong... They were bleeding and staring at me but there was nothing there. I put my hand on his chest and it wasn't moving.

"M-Marven?... Why aren't you crying?" I shook his tiny body "Marven?... Marven?... MARVEN!? MUMMMMMMMY!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping mummy would come. She came down the stairs with a man I've seen before. She was dressed in dressing gown where the man was just wearing his jeans. They looked very cross. Mummy stormed over and was about to yell at me when she stopped and looked at Marven. She covered her mouth and gasped while the man just stared at me.

"What did you do you little freak!" She yelled as she ripped me off the floor and shook me, making everything hurt.

"I-I didn't do it Mummy!" I tried to reason with her.

She slapped me across the face but didn't let me fall over. "You killed him! You killed your baby brother!" She slapped me again, making my eyes water. "You killed him you little freak! You're just like your father!"

"But I didn't!" I shrieked, she was making me very scared and upset. "You pushed me down the stairs!"

"Don't talk back to me you little shit!" She slapped me so hand my nose bled. She threw me to the floor. "You killed him and now you gotta pay!"

I stared up with frightened eyes as the man smiled cruelly. "Hold her down."

He took his belt from his pants and made the leather slap. I tried to get up but my legs wouldn't work. Mummy grabbed me and made me lay on my stomach. She held my hands to the ground and looked to see what the man was going to do. He let the buckle fall to the floor, jingling as it swayed back and forth. He wrapped some of the belt around his hand and stood over me.

"Make sure you don't hit her face Jake." She pulled my shirt up and twisted it around my throat, choking me a little, making me gag.

"So hold her head down." He sneered.

Mummy used her knee to hold my head down. I heard a whooshing sound. Then I felt the searing hot pain when the buckle made contact with my back. I screamed. Tears flew freely down my cheeks as i sobbed. My legs figured out how to work again but Jake stomped on my right leg, stopping me from doing anything and whipped me again.

I begged "Mummy no! please stop! Pleeeeeaaassse! I'm sorry! Please! Make him stop! Please!"

"You will take your punishment you little cunt! YOU killed Marven by interrupting us! YOU will learn your place! We have to leave now because of you and your fucking freak of a father! AND YOU WILL PAY!"

The buckle came back down again. And again. And again. It hurt so much. I could feel my back being torn open. I could feel the blood pooling onto the floor around me. Eventually the darkness took me and I didn't feel the pain anymore.

***end flashback***

I sighed before continuing. "I woke up three days later in a different country. As soon as I could get to my feet I ran away. I didn't last long though. My back got heavily infected and I passed out on the streets. A good Samaritan got me to the Hospital. Mother and Jake played the role of the freaked out parents and got off scott free. The cops figured i got hurt on the street."

I threw a rock into the fire and just stared into it. After a while I looked up to see them all looking at me in a state of disbelief. Suddenly I became aware of the fact that David was sitting right next to me. I turned to face him and boy did he looked pissed. His eyes were so cold and dark that he was actually kinda unnerving me.

After a moment he finally broke the silence. "Why are they still alive?"

I smiled bitterly. "Because she was the only family I had left..."

"Not any more litle sista'." said Paul as his hand gently gripped my shoulder.

I looked up to see all of them were sitting close to me. Marko had his hand on my knee, Dwayne had the other one and David held my other shoulder. I don't know why but a tear fall down my face. It was wiped away by a gloved hand before it got far. I looked into David's ice blue eyes. He looked so... I dunno. Accepting? Like he's trying to say it's ok?

That's when I knew I was home. This IS my family now. They all wrapped me into a group hug. Despite being in the middle of a pack of vampires I had never felt so safe.


	18. Burn baby burn

It felt strange to receive so much affection from these guys. I'm just not used to it… But it felt nice all the same. Slowly but surely the boys released their hold on me. The all looked… sad for me. I couldn't help but frown slightly. I'm sure their stories are worse than mine and even if they're not… I don't want their pity. I cracked open my beer and took an aggressive swig. Pissed about many things… but mostly pissed at myself.

'David's right… why IS she still alive?' I thought bitterly.

David broke the now slightly awkward silence that had fallen over our group. "You like to play with fire… right?"

I turned to see that wicked smirk of his creeping across his face. "Yeah…" I tilted my head to the side with a sly 'what-are-you-up-to?' smile.

David tilted the bottom of my beer up, encouraging me to drink it. "Drink up. We're gonna need the bottles."

"Yeah-heh!" cheered Paul. It seems he had caught onto what David had in mind and was chugging his drink down quickly.

Marko and Dwayne weren't far behind him. I tilted my head again as I took a gulp, somehow managing to not spill that. "What are you scheming?"

He kept tilting my drink until I finished it. "Oh plenty." He grinned darkly before continuing. "But right now we're gonna need to find a few things before we can get started."

I coughed on the last dreg of froth. "Like what?"

"Oh nothing much, just some hoses and some rags." He grinned as he climbed to his feet and offered his hand to me.

I took it as I tried to guess just what he was planning to do. "… do we need an accelerant?" He did mention fire before.

David merely hummed 'yes' as he pulled me to my feet. The campfire was currently being danced on by Marko and Paul while Dwayne gathered up the empty bottles. He stored them in his carry case as the fire finally went out with a few hoots and wild laughter. I couldn't help but chuckle at their antics. We mounted our bikes and headed back to town.

Once there, the Lost Boys parked their bikes in a surprisingly well-lit carpark close to the fairgrounds. The place was still in full swing with the night owls of Santa Carla. Everyone split up to find the items David mentioned earlier, taking an empty bottle each as they did. I followed David as he made his way towards a darker patch of the area.

There was a black Ford Mustang parked in a more obscure part of the carpark, surrounded by similar cars in colour, make and model. They had all been tagged with a Nazi swastika accompanied with the Iron Eagle soaring above it. This was obviously a Surf Nazi ride… And it looks like they left their radio antenna up too.

"See if you can get the fuel cap open." David squeezed my arm a little as he smiled

I smiled right back "Sure."

'It looks like we're siphoning fuel today.'

David looked around before ducking under the car. I moved over to the fuel tank and found the cap was sealed up tightly. Like at home (Australia) it was connected to a latch inside the car. I blinked when I heard something being torn open like a can of beans. 'Cool… no tools!'.

I tested the door only to find it was locked. Stealing another glance at my surroundings, I made my way over to the antenna and pulled it out of its socket. I slipped it between the seal for the door and the window at the driver's side and used it to fish open the lock. Just as I opened the door and ditched the antenna, I heard the sound of running liquid. It would seem that David has tampered with the breaks.

I slipped into the American Muscle car and pulled the latch for the fuel hub. When I climbed back out I saw David opening the fuel tank and shoving a black hose inside. I realized that the hose is from the break line… He sucked on the other end for a moment but stopped just before the fuel came through. Seems he's done that before. Without getting any petrol on him he quickly filled the two bottles we took with us, then let it fall to the ground, making gravity drain the car of its precious fuel.

While he was sabotaging this beautiful car I hopped back in and grabbed some guys' spare shirt from the back seat. There were a lot of empty cans, used joints, cigarette buds and general rubbish scattered about the floor in here. Obviously the owner of this car did not care too much about their ride. Deciding to check the glove compartment for anything useful, I sat back on my knees and opened the latch... There was nothing cool, just some receipts and car registration papers.

"Find anything?" asked David.

"Yeah. Rags." I looked over my shoulder and handed David the shirt with a smile.

He took it and immediately started tearing it up. "So where'd you learn how to break into cars?"

"Ran with a gang when I was a teenager. The coffin cheaters." I shrugged as I swung my legs out of the car but remained seated. "They saw I was a natural pick pocket, could even plant stuff without people noticing and… they learned that I can run VERY fast. So they taught me how to carjack."

"Cool name" David nods approvingly.

"Very cool name." I agreed "But not a cool gang. These guys were like a mafia. I really hated working with them. Was always looking over my shoulder y'know?"

"Bikers?" He asked curtly as he stuffed the rags into the bottles and stored them in his coat.

"Yeah."

"HEY! What the hell are you doing down there!?"

I looked up to see a small group of Surf Nazi's running towards us. They were too far away for me to get a good look at them but I knew they were pissed! "Oh shit!"

"C'mon!"

David grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the car. We took off, sprinting, not running, sprinting away from the car we just messed up with the four Nazi's on our tail. I couldn't help but laugh a little, this is fun for me, getting chased, it gives me a rush. I looked to my left to see David grinning as he ran. He looked down to make sure I was next to him, then stole a glance behind us. I did the same and saw the Nazi's were still on our tail.

I laughed again. "Looks like we really pissed them off!"

"Then we'd better deal with them. C'mon." Stated David calmly.

While I was trying to figure out how he could run and keep an even voice, David guided me to make a left turn. We had run towards a warehouse and was now in the loading zone. It was abandoned… From the look of things this place should be condemned. Everything that was metallic had some serious rust on it. The gate was open… sorta. It was being held closed by a long chain and padlock that was very easy to crawl under… makes you wonder why they bothered to chain it the first place. David pulled the gate open for me to crawl through first, then followed.

The loading ramp with a roller door, used for the trucks to back up and dump their deliveries to was hanging precariously on one chain. This made the other corner of the roller door dangle so that the whole door was crooked. Tons of boxes and wooden creates littered the yard, many were broken. We skidded to a stop when we heard the Nazi's crawl through the gate like we just did. David fished the Molotov cocktails out of his coat and handed them to me. He nudged me to squat down behind a crate.

"Stay here." He whispered.

"I can help!" I kept my voice down but stressed my tone to make my point.

David cupped my cheek briefly with a smile. "I know…"

Before I could respond he stood to face the Nazi's. I peeked around the corner of the crate so I could see what happened next. The four of them stood tall and pretty much surrounded David, blocking any chance of escape. The all wore the same style of clothing with the Surf Nazi patch on the back of their leather vests. One of them had a chain wrapped around their fist. Another slipped on some knuckle dusters. A third one pulled out a knife and the fourth kept his hand behind his back. He's the guy that David scared so badly that he pissed his pants a few nights ago.

He spoke up in a rather mocking tone. "Not so tough without your gang huh?"

"Yeah you took off like some chicken shit wiener" laughed the guy with the knife.

David merely grinned as he shifted his stance. "What makes you think I'm afraid? Maybe I just drew you all the way out here so there wouldn't be any witnesses."

"Yeah thanks for that" sneered the guy with the knuckle dusters. "Saved us a whole lot of trouble."

I know David can handle this but it just didn't feel right to let him fight them off on his own. I put the Molotov cocktails down in between a stack of crates and pulled my knife out of my boot. As they sized each other up, I made my way around the group and slowly crept up behind the Nazi with the knife. No real reason as to why I targeted him first. He just happened to be closest to me. I stayed crouched down and avoided stepping on any rubbish or random cardboard that was scattered about the place.

"What can I say? I'm a considerate guy." Answered David coolly as he peeled off his gloves and stashed them in his coat.

The other Nazi's snickered as they closed in around David. The one with the chain spoke next. "Where's that pretty gal of yours?"

"We know you've got here hiding in here somewhere. We'd LOVE to get acquainted with her." Baited the Nazi with his hand behind his back.

I was now behind the guy with the knife. David grinned darkly before answering "She's closer than you think."

I took that as my que and quickly stood to slash his throat from behind. The warm crimson liquid flowed freely down his chest. Spurting occasionally from the artery I managed to nick in the process. He grabbed blindly at his throat as he collapsed onto his knees. The Nazi with the knuckle dusters moved to catch his dying friend yelling "What the fuck!?" The Nazi with the chain was staring in shock. The one with his hand behind his back, the guy David scared half to death, whipped out an automatic pistol and aimed it at me.

David moved like lightning and pounced on him, knocking his hand up as the Nazi pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed past my cheek and hit the Nazi with the chain in his shoulder. I had fallen onto my ass on reflex as David literally tore his arm off. His gun dropped to the ground and sent another bullet ricocheting off the nearby metal beam attached to the heavy duty storage shelves. The Nazi howled in agony as David roared with rage. He lifted the guy as though he was as light as a feather and threw him at the trio of shocked gang members.

The group was knocked to the ground but didn't stay there for long. The guy who's throat I slashed earlier collapsed next to me. His eyes questioned me as they faded from this world. The Nazi now missing a limb grasped his bloodied stump and writhed about in agony until he bled to death. The Nazi with the chain was snatched up off the ground by a now vampiric David and was impaled by a low hanging industrial hook. He swung back and forth on the high density steel chain still hanging from the roof. Bits of rust fall into his hair as he grasped the tip of the hook now poking through the centre of his chest.

All that was left of this small group of a much larger gang was the Nazi with the knuckle dusters. He was crawling backwards, away from David as he tried to get to his feet and run. David snarled as he slashed the guy's throat open with his now sharp, claw like nails. As the guy gurgled and choked on his own blood, David yanked him off the ground and sunk his fangs into his throat. I watched the guy get drained of all the colour of his face. Watched his eyes glaze over and die. Once he was sated, David dropped the Nazi from his grasp. He landed with a heavy thump as David leaned his head back slightly to release a quick, heavy sigh. His face shifted back to normal as he opened his eyes.

He immediately turned his attention to me and jogged over quickly, wiping the blood on his face off with his sleeve. He squats down next to me and brushed some of my hair out of my face. He ran his bare thumb against my cheek which stung a little. His face contorted into a look of concern as he stared into my eyes. I was staring right back, still feeling the rush from my kill and from witnessing David in action. God he looked so hot when he tore them apart.

'Oh boy am I NOT wired right!'

"Are you ok? Looks like the bullet grazed you…" He frowned at that.

I felt my cheek with the tip of my index and middle finger then pulled them back to see my own blood. "I'm fine. I-I didn't even feel that…"

He shook his head slightly. "That was too close." He helped me up and held my shoulders, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Next time stay down." He said sternly.

I placed my hands on his chest and smirked. "And let you have all the fun? Hell no!" I smiled, seriously amused by his protectiveness.

David tightened his grip on my shoulders as he spoke. "Elizabeth… Whether you like it or not you're vulnerable. I don't want to see you getting hurt."

I smiled warmly "David, I get hurt every day, it's a part of who I am. There is no way you're keeping me out of a fight of any kind."

He chuckled slightly as he let go of my shoulders. "So I noticed." I stared at my feet with a bashful smile. "Hey." I looked up. "You didn't zone out this time."

I smiled brightly "Yeah I didn't. I don't black out all the time… I really don't know what triggers that."

David nods "Hmm."

I could see the cogs turning in his head again as he thought pretty damn hard about something. I also noticed that he had been staring at the cut on my cheek as he did. I moved to cover it with my hand but he closed the gap between us, holding my shoulder and opposite cheek, and slowly licked the blood from my face. My eyes widened as I blushed, breath well and truly caught in my throat. He hummed into my ear and pulled back with his eyes closed. It looked like he was savouring the taste.

I reached up to touch the cut only to find the wound had actually closed. I swallowed thickly as a scrambled mix of emotion and thoughts rushed through me. The main ones being arousal and concern. He just tasted my blood. Will he be tempted to feed? David opened his eyes and smirked. His body language was completely relaxed. He tilted his head slightly as he slowly released me from his grasp.

"Am I making you nervous?" He asked slyly.

I pulled on a brave face and let my hand drop to the side. "No, of course not." His smirk deepened.

David used the back of his bare hand to brush my unmarked cheek. "Don't be." Obviously he picked up on my concern. He's pretty damn good at reading people… "You're safe with me Elizabeth. I will never hurt you."

I couldn't help the smirk that crept on my own face. "What if I get you angry?"

"Then I'll yell at you." He smiled as he cupped my cheek.

"What if I try to punch you?" I smiled as my eyes danced with mischief.

"Then I'll catch your punches and pin you again." He chuckled as he closed the gap between us, which was pretty damn small to begin with.

"What if I scratched up your bike?" I stared into his eyes, all serious like.

David wrapped his arms around the small of my back and smirked. "Then I'd scratch up your guitar."

I chuckled almost condescendingly. "You'd try to scratch up my guitar. You wouldn't even get five feet to it." Now it was my turn to smirk.

David laughed as he tightened his grip, giving me a bloody good squeeze. "Like you would try to scratch up my ride." He leaned in so our noses were almost touching. "It just wouldn't happen."

I tried to wriggle out but lost some precious oxygen as he tightened his grip further. "You gotta sleep some time… and you leave your ride outside. I'M not restricted by daylight." I teased with a huff

David leaned closer so his lips ghosted over mine. "Then I might have to do something about that… won't I?"

Before I could question what he was talking about his lips crashed against mine. David relaxed his grip around me so I'd be able to breath but held me close, not letting me go anywhere… not like I'd try. My eyes closed on their own as I kissed him back, tasting the blood from his last victim, still fresh on his lips. His hand slithered along my spine until he held the back of my head while stayed around the small of me back. My hands curled around his waist as I hummed my pleasure. David broke the kiss before it could become any more heated than it already was and rested his forehead against mine.

"We should get back to the others…" He said with a sigh.

I nod slightly "yeah… but… What about the bodies?"

He slowly pulled away from me and looked at the victims. "Shit." He glanced around and saw an industrial sized dumpster. "We can dump them in there."

"You think that'll work?" I asked as I nudged the severed arm that was laying close to its owner with my foot.

"Yeah" He said nonchalantly as he grabbed the Nazi missing his arm and the one he fed on earlier as if they weighed nothing. "Who would look for them out here? And if the cops did find them, it's a random killing. It'll get brushed off as gang related and swept under the rug."

I picked up the severed arm and laid it across the chest of the Nazi who's throat I slit. I grabbed his feet and started dragging him towards the dumpster. "I hope you're right, I mean… Forensics has gotten pretty damn fancy since 87. Clever cops can find a person just by the fibres from their clothes and a single drop of blood. Mind you it's usually used to confirm if someone is the killer or not…"

David dropped one of the bodies to open the dumpster and threw the other one in. "Do you think they'd have something that fancy here in Santa Carla? Or that they'd bother to pay attention to this particular case in the murder capital of the world?" He threw the body that was at his feet in and turned to look at me.

"Maybe." I said as I reached the dumpster and dropped the Nazi's legs to the ground. "This is a tourist town and with it being dubbed as the murder capital of the world the cops could use all the help that can get… There are a couple of unique kills here. Severed arms and hook impalements are probably not so easy to ignore. Might raise an eyebrow or two."

"Hmm." David picked up the guy I dragged over and threw him in with the others. "This place is a mess. There would be hair, tissue, and fibres everywhere from the people that worked here… and it wouldn't take long for the sea air to stir things up… Besides, the only people who saw us come here, are in this box." He knocked the dumpster with a closed fist.

I thought about it for a moment then agreed with him. "Good point."

David nods then turned his attention to the guy hanging on the hook. He jumped up and caught the chain with both hands. As he started coming back down he gave the steel chain a hard yank, snapping it with his supernatural strength. I had wandered over to the gun on the floor and thought about what to do with it. Should we ditch it or keep it? David dumped the last body into the dumpster with a loud thump and closed the lid.

He dusted his hands off as he approached me. "You may as well keep that. It might come in handy."

I shook my head no. "Bullets are easier to trace than metallic ribbons from a knife."

"But you don't own the gun. So how could they trace it back to you?" Asked David as he pulled his gloves back ok.

"Touché… Oh well, I'll just ditch it if the cops are ever on my tail." I switched the safety on and tucked it into the back of my pants.

"Do you know how to use one of those?" He asked as he picked up the shell casings and handed them to me.

I took them and put them in my back pocket. "Nope, but I'm a quick learner."

"Fair enough. Where did you put the Molotov's?" He looked around, trying to spot them.

"Oh! Over here." I quickly dashed to where David had me hide earlier and fished them out from between the crates. I jogged back and gave them to him. "What are we gonna do with these anyway?"

He pocketed them with a smile. "All will be revealed in due time."

"I hope so…" I pouted and put my hands on my hips. "The suspense is killing me."

David laughed as he guided me out of the warehouse, back to the gate we crawled through earlier. "So how do you know all this stuff?" We continued walking back to the carpark.

"Well when I went back on the street for the second and longest time… as in a good decade or so… I spent a lot of time in the library. It was a good place to crash, especially during the winters. Had to do something to pass the time, so I took up reading." I shrugged with a smile.

David chuckled "Oh Dwayne would be thrilled to hear that."

…

Marko, Paul and Dwayne were already waiting for us by their bikes. They seemed to be chatting quietly, looking around as they did. Dwayne saw us approach as motioned his head in our direction. Paul and Marko looked to see us. Marko grinned, as he does, where Paul kinda looked annoyed at us. David seemed to be laughing quietly as we re-joined the group.

Paul folded his arms and actually looked cross. "There you are! What took you so long? Did you duck off for a quickie or something?" He held that gaze for a while but the corners of his mouth threatened to break into a full blown grin.

I leaned back and fanned myself as I spoke with a sensual tone. "Hmmm… wouldn't you like to know?" and smiled with hooded eyes.

Pauls jaw dropped while Marko and Dwayne laughed their asses off. David was chuckling as he fished out another cigarette for himself. Paul grinned as he looked between David and I. "David you dog!" He joined in with the laughter.

David took a drag from his cigarette and held up his hand, signalling them to stop laughing. "We ran into some Nazi's and had to take care of them, nothing major."

"I thought I could smell blood." Chimed Marko.

Dwayne stared at me for a second before asking "What happed to your cheek?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Near miss."

"Are you ok?" The seriousness returned to Paul's voice… It didn't suit him.

"I'm fine." I smiled. "Didn't even feel it so forget about it already." I put my hands on my hips and glared sternly.

"Awe she's cute when she's mad." Cooed Paul as he pinched my good cheek.

My arms dangled to my sides as I glanced sideways at Paul. "Do you wanna keep your fingers?" I asked coldly.

He immediately let go and held his hands up, wriggling his fingers as he spoke. "Yup, kinda need 'em."

"Smart." I stated coolly as I rubbed my cheek… a smile was breaking through my sternness though.

We all snickered for a bit, then David spoke up. "Did you guys make your cocktails?"

There was a "Yup" from Marko and Paul as Dwayne nods.

"So what are we firebombing?" I asked in an almost sing song kinda voice.

David smirked as he flicked away his cigarette. "You'll see."

I stomped my foot into the ground with a major whine "AWW c'mon! Tell me!"

David ginned and shook his head 'no' while the others laughed. "Hell no."

I shoved him playfully which made everyone laugh even harder. He caught my arms and pulled me into his chest. I couldn't help but blush at our proximity as I stared into his eyes. That hazy sensation enveloped my brain again as he stared back but it passed as quickly as it came. David's grin seemed to broaden as he motioned his head towards the bikes. "Let's go!"

Everyone jumped onto their bikes with extreme enthusiasm. I felt compelled to follow, cheering with the gang as I climbed on behind David and snuggled into his back. The engines roared to life as we took off towards the seedier part of town. Just where were we going?

We passed through the underworld of Santa Carla and entered 'Slumsville'. As a group, we stopped just a few blocks down from my mother's house. I was completely stumped.

'How did they know where I lived?'

Before I could query anyone about it, my mother appeared at the end of the street. Her already scraggy clothes looked worse for wear. There were several tears in her fishnet stockings and the strap for her… well… bra had been torn or cut. I guess her last customer was a little rough. Judging by her unstable gait she has had something to drink or a depressant drug like heroin. She coughed the smokers cough as her lit cigarette fall to the road. She kinda looked at it as she continued to stumble home.

Suddenly the Lost Boys started revving their engines as Paul yelled "Hey! Ms Collieeeeeer!" Followed by whoops and hollers from Marko and Dwayne. She turned around and almost fall over in her drunken state. Everybody switched on their headlights and our bikes shot towards her. She shrieked and jumped back but it wasn't necessary. The boys circled her like sharks, whipping her hair or tapping her shoulder as they drove past.

Marko cooed "Hey baby wanna play?" As he rode past, snatching her handbag and tossing it to Dwayne. Dwayne rode past, holding it just out of her reach as she made a mad dash to grab it. She missed. David looked over his shoulder to me and grinned before heading towards my mother. I leaned to the side and threw my open hand across her cheek. That freaken stung! I quickly clung to David so I wouldn't lose my balance and looked over my shoulder to watch my mother fall. The combined force of my slap and David's bike sent her flying into the bitumen, making her face bleed on impact.

This seemed to knock her out of her drunken stupor for she screamed and got back to her feet. I could see she was terrified as we continued to circle her, then left her an opening to run home. She took the opportunity to run for her life. We followed her, whooping and hollering as we did. Dwayne side swiped her. Almost grazed her leg when her skidded past her, making her scream again as she ran towards her house.

David raced ahead and skidded to a stop just outside the front door. He pulled one of the Molotov's out of his pocket and handed it to me along with his lighter. The look in his eyes were wickedly evil. I freaken loved it! I could feel my own evil smile creep onto my face as I dismounted his bike and lit the rag. Mother was almost at the door when I threw the converted beer bottle against her dingy door. It burst into a wall of flame. Completely engulfing her chosen sanctuary in an almost earthreal shade of orange.

Mother screamed as she falls backwards on reflex to the flames. She landed on her butt and stared at me in both horror and bitter hatred. Marko, Paul and Dwayne had pulled up and cheered at the sight of destruction before lighting their own cocktails and threw it against the rundown two story house. The combined shattering of glass added fuel to the fire as well as starting their own. Heat radiated to the point where the barely visible paint peeled from its wooden structure before the flames consumed it. The windows shattered when the glass could take no more pressure, creating a burst of flames thanks to the fresh oxygen feeding the beast.

David had dismounted and stalked towards my mother, standing next to me as he lit his own cocktail. He held it right above my mother's head. Indicating that he will drop this right on top of her and burn her to death. He smiled cruelly. No. Cruel was not a strong enough word to describe the look on David's face. He smiled sadistically. He chuckled darkly as the flames licked his gloved hand and the combined laughter from the boys just created an eerie atmosphere.

Mother supressed a whimper before looking me in the eye. "Y-you haven't made me say the words."

Now it was my turn to smile sadistically. "No I haven't. That means this isn't over yet mother."

"Your days are numbered skank. There's nowhere you can go where we can't find you." Taunted David with such a cold tone.

David dropped the cocktail to my mother's right, setting the road on fire. Making her scramble to her feet and run right into me. I spun her around and pushed her forward, away from the fire. She turned around and opened her mouth to say something snarky but my fist collided with her jaw before she could, earning a collective "Ooooh" from the gang of vampires. She hit the ground so hard she knocked herself out.

I looked up to see the street was deserted. No one was gonna get involved with this. I guess that's a benefit from living in the seedier part of town. No one talks to the cops. Ever. Someone did call the fire brigade though for I could hear their siren in the distance. A gloved hand gripped mine and I turned to see David smiling at me. He leads me to his bike and mounted quickly, pulling me to hop on behind him. I jumped on and only just managed to get my arms around his waist before we took off at the speed of light.

All of us were cheering as we headed home. I hadn't stopped grinning, not even for a second.


	19. The games people play

I was still freaken high from what we just did to my mother and was in no mood to play Nancy Drew and go off investigating the Emerson house… I just wanted to party and judging by the mad look on everyone's faces… so did the guys. My hand still stung but it was in a good way. It did little to diminish the grip I had on David's waist as we weaved through the now scarce traffic on the streets of Santa Carla. The speed limit was far too slow for us and just because the traffic light was red… didn't mean we had to stop. If anything we went faster, narrowly avoiding a head on collision between drivers coming from opposite directions. I yelled with pure exhilaration at the near miss, earning a laugh from David and whoops and hollers from the boys… it seems we all have a death wish and that's fine by me.

It didn't take us long to leave 'Slumsville' and passed the rest of suburbia at the speed of light. Soon we were ripping up the boardwalk with our bikes, scaring the crap out of the late night strollers before heading for Hudson bluff. David pulled ahead of everyone when we hit the forest and changed course. It seems that we're not going home just yet. Instead we took a long forgotten path that eventually lead to an old railway track. The crossing, Hudson's bridge was just ahead. An almost ominous mist seemed to fill the void between the cliffs on either side of the bridge, making it impossible to tell if there was anything in the gorge below. For some reason we slowed down and parked our bikes after bumping along on the tracks. I was a tad saddle sore for that but oh well…

Everyone dismounted and started walking along the rails. Dwayne hung back for a bit as though he were listening for something then smiled, bouncing to catch up with the rest of us. He grinned to David, earning a smile from him as he called "Perfect timing". Paul and Marko seemed to be hopping on and off the railings, testing the metal, trying to see if they could make it creak or snap the wood. They all seemed to be laughing and I couldn't help but quirk and eyebrow at their antics and by what David meant when he said "Perfect timing". David kept me moving by holding the small of my back, guiding me to walk with him.

"Oh hell yeah! I've been dying to do this since we got back!" Hollered Paul as he shoved Marko off the track. "I was worried it wasn't here anymore!"

Marko bounced back and playfully kicked his leg in retaliation. "Oh man me too! This is so Rad!"

"We're gonna play the game!" added Dwayne with just as much enthusiasm as Paul and Marko as he bounced around them.

They echoed "We're playing the game" in that super excited tone that only kids and thrill seeing adults can use.

'Dang these guys are super psyched for something.'

I looked to David and cocked my head as we continued to bounce and stroll slowly along these tracks. "The game? What game? What's going on guys?"

David actually grinned and spoke over his shoulder. "I think Elizabeth wants to know what's going on. So what's going on Paul?"

"Hmm I dunno, Marko?" He playfully teased, nudging Marko with his shoulder.

"Wait a minute who wants to know?" Marko added as he grinned that grin of his.

Dwayne bounced and caught both of their shoulders as he chimed "Lizzy wants to know!"

They all snickered as we came to a stop. I couldn't help but grin at their antics, finding their fun loving and teasing behaviour very refreshing. So much better from the day to day seriousness I've had to live with for years. I looked to David expectantly for an answer as he pulled me closer to him. I wrapped my arm around his waist and just took in the sight of him smiling a genuine smile. He scanned everyone as he spoke in the amused yet agreeable tone.

"I think we should tell Elizabeth what's going on." He looked at Marko, directing everyone's gaze to him as he smiled probably the smallest smile I'd seen so far. David tilted his head slightly as he asked "Marko?"

Marko waved by wriggling his fingers to me. "Good night Lizzy" and called out "Bombs away!" as he suddenly dropped through the ground.

I stuttered something but couldn't quite get the words out as Paul stepped to where Marko was and smiled. He clicked his fingers next to his ears and almost cooed "Bottoms up man" and whopped as he dropped down.

Dwayne smirked as he silently double gunned me and dropped with the rest of them. I just stood there with my jaw open as David walked around me, sliding his hand around my back, trailing my hip as he stood in front of me. He spoke softly which threw me way off. "Come with us Elizabeth" before he too dropped through the ground.

I stepped up to where everyone suddenly disappeared and saw there was a mighty big hole in the wood. When I peered into the hole I was greeted with the grins and cheers of the boys, hanging onto the railing beneath the bridge. I sighed in relief, fearing they'd just jumped to their deaths for the hell of it and saw they were perfectly fine. I grinned back as they began to call me down. David was laughing, looking me right in the eye.

"Elizabeth Ryder, come on down!" He grinned up to me.

"You guys are nuts!" I laughed as I began to climb down.

"So what does that make you girl?" Teased Paul as he swung to another bar to give me room.

"Ludacris." Was my answer as I dangled in front of David, earning a laugh from everyone.

I looked down and found I couldn't see past the fog below us… For all I knew there could be nothing but sharp jaggered rocks on the bottom… Though I was praying for water. I looked to see Paul, Dwayne and Marko were trying to kick each other off their perches, laughing and whooping at they did. I adjusted my grip and tested to see if I had the strength to pull myself back up and found my ribs were indeed feeling a lot better. I glanced at David to ask him why we were dangling under the bridge only to see that half mad expression on his face again, telling me we're about to do something insane.

He grinned and asked "Fun huh?"

I snickered and lightly kicked his hip, making him chuckle as he temporarily trapped my leg between his. He let go before looking up. I looked up with him and that's when I heard it. The screech of a train completing a turn on the metal tracks. I could feel the vibrations building through the beam I was currently holding onto and my eyes widened when I realized just how much danger we were really in right now. I looked back to see the guys grinning and I stared at David, wondering what the hell was going through his head right now. The train was almost on us, making all of us bounce quite violently.

David locked his eyes with mine and yelled above the thundering freight train. "Hold On!"

Every bounce became more violent as the train passed over our heads, making my ribs ache like I just busted them again. I held on as tight as I could, yelling "SHIT!" to myself more than anyone.

Paul was head banging with the bounces, laughing wildly before suddenly dropping into the fog, yelling "Yeah-heeeeeeeeeeeeh!"

I screamed "PAUL!" As I watched him fall.

"Don't be scared Liz!" I looked up to see Marko smiling before dropping after Paul, yelling "Wooooaaah!" all the way down.

"NO!" I tried to move closer to David and Dwayne but I almost lost my grip completely and had to stay put or I'd fall to.

I looked up to see Dwayne was only hanging on with one hand and soon fall after Marko. No last words for him… he just yelled.

I stared in horror and suppressed a sob as I stared at David. He seemed completely unfazed with others falling to their deaths. I could see his hands were slipping too and I was really freaking out. He yelled above the train "Come with us Elizabeth! Let go!"

I was so confused and yelled back "WHAT!?" Go with them where? To the next life?

"Come. With. Us!" He yelled more clearly before looking up, bracing himself to die again. The he too, fall.

I tried to catch him with my legs but to my horror and absolute devastation… I missed... I screamed "DAAAAVIIIID! NO!" and continued to hold on for dear life.

The train finally buggered off, making the vibrations slow to barely a murmur then stopped all together. All that could be heard was the sound of the wind and my sobs of sorrow… Everyone I cared about was gone… all for some stupid 'train dodge' game. Tears streamed freely down my face as I considered dropping too. I shook the thought from my head and tried to pull myself up. My arms were hurting so much but I had enough core strength to get the bar to my chest. I was struggling to loft my leg up but I managed to hook it onto the railing to support myself and give my arms a rest. I rubbed the tears from my cheeks onto my shoulders and damn near fall when I heard their voices from shock.

There was a chorus of "Lizzy! C'mon Liz! Come with us Liz!" from Paul, Marko and Dwayne accompanied with their cheers and laughter coming from somewhere below the fog.

David's voice seemed to drift with the wind, circling me, echoing from everywhere as he called my name. "Elizabeth… Come with us Elizabeth."

I was confused. Angry. Really pissed off. 'That was very fucking cruel! I thought they died! I don't know a damn thing about vampires so how could I know that fall would not kill them!? By the time I get to them I'm gonna beat the living shit out of them I swear!'

Oh man was I mad but I had to make a decision quickly because my strength was fading… fast. I had two choices: Climb back up and walk away… or… Show an abundance of trust and fall. A very big part of me wanted to go with them no matter what… but I was just so mad at them for pulling such a cruel joke that I was very tempted to leave…. But the thought of being away from them, away from David actually hurt. It caused a physical pain in my chest and made me feel sick. I didn't understand any of that… why I felt that pain or what it meant. I just knew I couldn't do it.

With a heavy sigh I braced myself for a potentially fatal move. I was not afraid to die and what better way to prove it? I couldn't help but chew on my lip a little as I tried to fight my own survival instinct and convince my fingers to release their death grip… which was extra tight from the combination of the adrenaline currently coursing through my veins and with being unnaturally strong for someone my size. That only comes out when I'm in the 'psycho mode'… Or in a life threatening situation like this. I took in a deep breath and held it. Then I forced all of my muscles to relax.

…I let go…

The sudden drop and sense of weightlessness made me scream as I fall back first into the fog. Only about three seconds into the fall, maybe less, I was caught bridal styles in David's arms. On reflex I clung to him and stared into his eyes. He was grinning ear to ear as he tightened his grip. I could hear Paul, Dwayne and Marko cheering close by but I couldn't see them in this damn fog! For some reason… and I'm gonna blame the clairvoyance… I had this overwhelming need to look down. So I did. Only to see there was NOTHING beneath David's feet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and yelled "AH! WHAT THE FUCK!?" Which of course made him laugh.

Marko suddenly swooped down beside us and spoke at the speed of light. "She let go man! She didn't fall! She actually let go!"

I felt someone grab my foot so I looked down to see Paul. "I saw her dude she really did! You rock girl!" He beamed.

I was so dumbfounded that I temporarily forgot I was angry with them. "Wait what? You guys can fly? Bloody hell!" 'No wings! Just magick!'

"Ooh she's quick!" Teased Dwayne from somewhere to my right, staying hidden in the fog.

"I guess you could say she fall for ya David!" teased Paul, easily dodging my attempt to kick his face, laughing as he did.

"What!? Grrrr! As soon as I get my feet are on the ground I'm gonna kick your arse Paul!" I growled at him as I blushed furiously. The nerve of that guy!

"You're just angry coz it's true." He winked as Marko and Dwayne laughed.

"Then we better make sure your feet don't touch the ground anytime soon" teased David with that 'know it all' tone.

I glared right into his eyes and growled. "You're not exempt from the arse whooping David!"

That earned an "ooooooh" from the boys.

David merely grinned as he purred into my ear. "Then I really gotta make sure your feet don't touch the ground." He growled that last part, somehow making my blush worse.

We suddenly shot straight up, above the fog and into the night sky, forcing me to bury my face into his chest to muffle my scream, stopping me from executing any form of retaliation for now. For me the G-force was equal to the rollercoaster ride we took a few nights ago. I kept my eyes shut and face buried as I held on for dear life. I could feel us change direction so that we were actually moving forwards now instead of straight up. I could hear the boys whooping hollering as they flew around David and I but I refused to look. I know I'm being a major pussy but the lack of control was really REALLY freaking me out right now. I was already cold from our flight so I snuggled into David for what little body heat he had with my eyes shut tight. We seemed to be slowing down then suddenly stopped.

David spoke softly again, which nearly made my eyes open from surprise. "Look."

I shook my head no. "Nuh ah."

He sighed slightly then whispered into my ear. "Elizabeth, trust me. Open your eyes and look."

With a sigh I opened my eyes to look at David first. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile as he motioned for me to look ahead. Slowly, I tilted my face away from his chest to see what he wanted me to look at. "Woah…"

We were looking at a high angled long shot view of Santa Carla. It was breath taking to see a view like this with your own eyes instead of being separated with the silver screen in the comforts of your own home. I could see the board walk from here! The lights from the fairgrounds acted like a beacon, beaconing any and all to come and play to the heart of this place. The forest was a lot bigger than I thought it was and the ocean looked as black at the night sky itself. The lights of the amusement park suddenly went out, telling me just how late it was. But then, I looked up. Without the lights from the fairgrounds to dull the effects of the night, all the stars seemed to come out. Not just the big ones that you can see all the time. The little ones that can create the endless sea of the milky way dotted the sight accompanied with new harvest moon. I hadn't realised it at first but David had actually been taking the view in with me… and the boys were strangely quiet. I glanced about the best I could… which was slightly impeded from the death grip I had on David's neck and couldn't see them anywhere… It would seem that we had been given this moment alone… or they're behind us.

David glanced down and gave me a slight squeeze. "Do you like it?"

I looked up to meet his gaze and smiled. "Yeah… it's beautiful."

He smirked "I thought you would."

"Oh? What made you so damn sure." I gave him a mock glare.

He tilted his face and his smirk seemed to deepen. "Artists tend to dig these sorta things."

I scoffed "most musicians just wanna break things, well rockers anyway."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I wasn't referring to your musical talent."

I frowned for a moment while I tried to figure out what he was on about. 'Could he be talking about my sketch pad? But how would he know about that unless they went through my bag or…'

My eyes widened slightly "You were awake!?" He nods with a grin. "OH MY GOD!" I buried my face into his chest again as my cheeks burned. God I was so embarrassed. He knew I was sketching him.

David laughed loudly and I did not hear the boys laugh, suggesting they were indeed gone. "I've never had my portrait done before." Not that I'd see but I could hear it in his voice that he was grinning. "I'm flattered." He cooed.

My voice was muffled by his shirt but he had no trouble hearing me. "Well it's not finished."

"Can I see it?" He asked genuinely

"When it's finished." Came my muffled reply.

"When will it be finished?" He teased.

I tilted my face up and smirked at him. "When it is."

He grinned at me and chuckled. "C'mon, let's go home."

I really don't have a problem with heights… it's sudden changes and lack of control that freaks me out but once I get used to something… I'm usually pretty good. I nod as I tightened my grip even more. We took off slowly this time, allowing me to get a good view of Santa Carla as we followed the forest back to the cave. This time, I kept my eyes open. All thoughts of beating the crap out of him or the others were gone for now…

David had actually carried me all the way to the cave entrance, bypassing the staircase all together. He set my feet down gently and waited until I was steady before letting go of my shoulders. He was still such a mystery to me. Here is the badest ass I know. Cruel, sadistic, cunning and downright evil… yet… he always seems to go that extra mile for me, despite when we're mad at each other (Like with Jimmy), he always does these little things… And I know he's dedicated to his brothers.

'Yeah... that's what they are… brothers.'

"Are you ok?"

David's voice and look of concern snapped me out of my thoughts. I tried to look fine as I spoke. "Hmm? Yeah… just thinking."

He frowned slightly "About…?"

I rubbed my arm and stared at the ground. "…. I thought you guys were dead…" I looked him in the eye to show I was NOT amused.

He features hardened and he never broke eye contact. "The game?"

"Yeah the game." I folded my arms.

He paused for a moment before responding. "I'm sorry about that… No hard feelings?"

I was tempted to punch him but I glared at him instead. "Only if you explain what that was all about."

He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, scruffing up his spikes a bit before speaking. "I didn't think much of that. It's just a game we play, we do it all the time…" He shrugged "I just wanted to include you."

'There's more to it than that…' My inner voice chided. I narrowed my eyes slightly "That's it? You scared the living shit out of me just for the hell of it?"

He looked taken back by that. "I didn't think that'd scare you. You're an adrenaline junky, didn't even flinch when we almost went over that cliff so I figured you weren't afraid to die…"

"That's not what scared me David." I sighed, releasing my arms and looking away. "I just watched all of you die… I… I tried to catch you and I missed." I looked back as a single tear streamed down my cheek. "and I was gonna have to live with that."

He muttered "shit" and quickly pulled me into an embrace. I held myself stiffly at first but found myself relaxing into him as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I am so sorry… I… I just needed to be sure."

I pulled back to look him in the eye… seeing sincerity in his expression. "Sure about what?"

He smiled sadly as he wiped my tear away. "… This." He motioned towards the limited space between us. "I've been wrong before…"

'Phew… damn that takes guts to admit that.' My frown lifted immediately and I felt nervous as I approached unfamiliar territory. "… About Star?"

He looked surprised. "Damn… Dwayne's right you are quick." He looked away… The first sign of insecurity… his wall was breaking and I didn't want to see that.

"Hey…" It was my turn to cup his cheek and tilt his face back to me, loving the feel of his stubble beneath my fingers. It was softer than I thought it would be… I offer my sincerest smile. "You don't have to tell me, I can guess what happened and I don't need to know the details… I'm not her David."

He closed his eyes and sighed quietly. When he opened them again his confidence had returned with a certain fire… like he just made a decision at long last. "I know."

David moved quickly and I found myself in his arms again with his lips devouring mine. I didn't even have time to blink and found myself returning his passion with my own once more. He walked towards me, pushing me away from the cave entrance so that my back was pressed up against the rock. I was a little surprised by the sudden switch in behaviour but it was welcomed. I didn't like the idea of him opening up and spilling his heart out to me… it's just not him. All logical thoughts left my brain as his tongue invaded my mouth, making me blush like crazy as we resumed the sensual dance we started earlier tonight.

One of his hands slipped from the small of my back and curled around my exposed stomach, slowly trailing higher until he reached my breast. He gave it a firm squeeze, making me moan into his kiss as my hand travelled down to his crotch. He hummed when I began to rub him through his pants, making his passion become rougher as he kneaded my breast. His hand slipped under my boob tube and continued to fondle it, deliberately rubbing his thumb over my nipple, making it harden even more than it already was.

He released my mouth and turned his attention to my neck, right where he bit me before. I had to fight the urge to groan with every nip, kiss and suckle for it was amazingly sensitive. I guess he was a little disappointed with the lack of noise because he bit me a little harder as he tweaked my nipple. I groaned loudly… couldn't help it… and I could feel him smile into my neck in response. Before I could do anything in return his hand had slipped from my breast and now cupped my groin. He chuckled and moved his face away from my neck and looked me in the eye.

I panted heavily before asking "What?"

He grinned darkly before answering "You're already so hot down there…"

I was about to give him a witty comeback but he dug his knuckle through the fabric and struck my citreous, making me moan as I smacked the back of my head into the rock. I couldn't tease him like he was teasing me, my hands had already flown to grab the rock behind me, trying to grab a hold of something… anything. His eyes never left mine as he used his teeth to remove his glove once more, letting it drop into the sand as he undid my jeans. His hand slipped below my panties and rubbed my slick folds, showing me I was already soaking wet. He plunged a finger deep inside and hooked it, making me feel exactly where he was. He captured my moan into another hot kiss as he pulled his finger back and plunged it right back in, adding a second finger and scissored them inside me. I bucked my hips in sync with his thrusts, feeling him deeper every time. He'd scissor his fingers occasionally, stretching my inner walls as he did.

He stopped suddenly, breaking our kiss as he removed his fingers completely. I watched him as he quickly pulled my pants down, panting heavily with desire. I kicked them off, along with my panties as he stood upright and opened his pants. His member sprang to attention as soon as he opened his fly and merely pulled his pants down slightly. Before I could blink he had lifted me off the ground, stretching my legs wide open as he slowly impaled me onto his throbbing cock. I grabbed onto his shoulders and held him close, groaning into his ear as he sheathed himself all the way to the hilt. He moaned with me and guided my legs to wrap around his waist before grabbing my ass.

He slammed my back into the rocks with a powerful thrust. I grunted with the combination of pleasure and pain and gripped the tails of his mullet, pulling his hair as I moved with him. He growled as he slammed into me harder but I would not let go of his hair. If anything I pulled harder as I lifted and slammed myself back onto his cock as hard as I could in sync with his thrusts, learning quickly with how to achieve maximum penetration from this position. We were much rougher with each other this time, pouring raw emotion into every thrust, pushing each other to go harder, see who breaks first.

I kissed him hard, biting his lip with moan. He growled back and dug his nails into my ass, forcing me to thrust against him even harder than I already was. I yelled out loudly as a wave of pleasure caused my inner walls to constrict tightly. David moaned and thrust harder, tearing his lips away from mine and sunk his teeth into my neck. His fangs had actually punctured my flesh and the taste of my blood sent him into a frenzy. He pounded into me mercilessly as he drank from me, making me call out with every thrust. I was high from his bite and met his pace with my own, the pressure from deep within exploded, making me scream as the orgasm rocked my system. Instead of trying to pull away I held him closer, pushing my neck into his mouth as he continued to pound into me. He bit down harder and growled when he came, flooding me with his seed as he continued to thrust with each wave.

I could feel myself getting weaker as he continued to feed but I didn't stop him… I was too damn high to care. My legs dropped from around his waist when I no longer had the strength to hold them up. He took one last gulp before he was able to pull himself back, breathing heavily into the air with his eyes closed. When he opened them again they were amber instead of their usual ice blue. He stared at the wound on my neck then licked it closed. He hummed into my ear like before as he pulled back and held my face, forcing me to keep my eyes open. It didn't really work though for I lost consciousness as he called my name.

There was a jumble of distant voices in the darkness and a part of me was annoyed with its presence. It was peaceful here, where I could finally get some much needed rest. When I opened my eyes I was in a fog. I could feel concrete beneath my feet so wherever I was seemed pretty damn real. With a shrug I walked forward, looking around, trying to see where I was. The voices I could hear were becoming louder but they were still too far away for me to make out what they were saying. They did sound familiar though and they seemed to be arguing over something. I tried to guess where the voices were coming from but they seemed to be bouncing all around me.

With a shrug I kept walking forward. I spotted a silhouette of someone walking ahead of me so I jogged to catch up with them. Whatever the floor was, seemed to change and it now felt like a road was beneath my feet as I headed for the stranger. They had stuck their thumb out as though they were signalling to catch a ride. The fog seemed to lift just enough for me to see that we were on a dessert road… a highway. The person ahead of me was a guy, dressed in a navy blue trench coat. He strolled casually as if he was in no hurry at all to get to where ever he was going. He was taller than me, probably about six foot two with sandy blond hair. His steps were heavy though… something was weighing this guy down big time.

Now that I was close enough I called out to him. "Hi… excuse me um… I seem to be lost… can you help me?" I stopped just behind him.

He froze for a moment and slowly turned on his heel, dropping his arm as he did. His grey eyes studied me carefully and his weather worn face showed no emotion what so ever. He frowned slightly and merely stared in silence.

I rubbed my arm, feeling very cold here despite my jacket and locked onto the strange guy's eyes. "Do you know where we are?"

He blinked slowly before answering like it was obvious "the old highway…"

I looked around again before meeting his eyes once more. "What's with the fog?"

"It never lifts." Came his distant answer.

He turned and started to walk away. I jogged to walked by his side. "Ok… well... What's your name?"

"John" came his response as he stared dead ahead.

"Hi John… I'm Elizabeth…" I continued to look around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"I have a daughter called Elizabeth…" whispered John as he fidgeted with his wedding ring. "I can't find her…"

I stopped dead in my tracks and just about had a heart attack. "Is…. Is your last name Ryder?"

He stopped and turned around slowly again. He approached me and stared dead into my eyes. He titled his head slightly and asked "Pumpkin?"

"Daddy…" came my whispered response.

I rush hugged him, surprising him slightly but he soon returned the embrace. "I found you…" John rested his cheek against my forehead and sighed. "What are you doing here pumpkin? This is no place for the living."

"Living?" I asked with a sniffle. Tears were streaming down my face. Tears of joy… I've met my father at last.

He pushed my shoulders so I would step back and pulled out a handkerchief to dry my eyes… like he always did when I was a little girl. He smiled all fatherly like… I can't believe he ever faded from my memory. "We're in the spirit world pumpkin… you shouldn't be here." He tapped my chest, directing my attention to a pulsing light right where my heart should be. "It's a little slower than it should be but… you're still alive."

"I dunno how I'm here but… I missed you Dad…" I sniffled again.

"And I missed you sweet pea." He pinched my cheek with a smile. "You must be like me… to be here before your time… Yes, I remember you talked about the boogy man…" He drifted with the memory.

"So being a clairvoyant tie's you to this place?"

"Yes… it's how we can see… and be seen. The supernatural can spot us just as easily, makes us a target." He looked sad for the moment. "It can drive you mad…"

"Yeah…" I whispered, knowing the feeling very well.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you pumpkin… so very sorry." He stared at the ground.

"it's ok Dad… it wasn't your fault."

The voices got louder until I heard David say "I've found her! Dwayne!"

"On it!" came his reply.

"Hmm… sounds like your ride is here." John mused out loud.

I looked at him feeling very confused as he looked over my shoulder. I turned around to see Dwayne materialise from the fog itself but he was transparent. I could also see David's hand was on his shoulder, ready to pull him back. He immediately jogged towards me but stopped when he saw my father. "Spirit." He nods in greeting.

"Spirit walker." Came my father's reply as he returned the nod. "I was always fascinated with that technique but it draws far too much attention to one's self."

I tilted my head and asked "Huh?"

He turned around to direct our attention to the hoard of dark and angry spirits rushing towards us. Many were missing features from their faces, others had black sludge pouring out of every hole in their body…

"I'm not the only one that dodged the dark place here and they crave your life force…" He looked over his shoulder to Dwayne as he pulled out his knife. "Get my daughter out of here vampire."

"Yes sir!" He held his hand out towards me. "You gotta chose to come with me little sista'…"

"I looked back to my Dad, trying to think of something to say. He smiled and spoke so calmly. "Go pumpkin. Be happy for your old man huh?" He turned around and walked towards the hoard "I got this."

He ran into the hoard and put his knife to good use, slashing arteries with a skill far better than my own. He had the added strength and speed of a ghost too and kept them back. I wanted to help him… but he told me to go. I turned to face Dwayne and grabbed his hand. He looked up and yelled. "NOW DAVID!"

The hand that was on his shoulder began to glow and I soon felt something burning my shoulder. I hissed as I looked down to see David's other gloved hand there and felt one hell of a ripping sensation as we were torn from this world.


	20. The calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this chapter onward, there are changes between point of views. To transition into this change in writing, this chapter begins in 3rd person and will go back to the 1st person in the next POV.

3rd. Person P.O.V.

The atmosphere of the once joyous and carefree cave was that of a sombre one. Elizabeth laid unconscious on one of the run down couches, covered with David's coat with Dwayne sitting Indian styles next to her. David knelt between them, holding their shoulders to anchor them to this world as he searched for his wayward mate. Paul and Marko were squatting close by, arguing rather loudly as they stared at the deep bruise developing on the girl's neck.

"How the hell did this happen!?" Demanded Paul, running his hand through his hair in concern.

"You're smarter than this man, how much did you take!?" Added Marko, cracking his knuckles as he wrung his hands.

David had his eyes closed and snapped angrily at his brothers. "If you don't shut the fuck up right now I'll lose both of them!"

They both shut their mouths and remained silent as they watched their leader's scowl deepen. They could see this was painful and decided to save the fight for later. They wanted their sister back, whatever it took… and they knew David would do just that.

David flinched slightly and grimaced as he breached the barrier between worlds. "I've found her. Dwayne!"

Dwayne had his eyes closed and been in a state of limbo this entire time. He nods as he said "On it!" and slumped as his spirit leapt through the breech. Normally he could do this without using such drastic measures but there was simply no time to prepare the ritual for the more… appropriate way of doing this. After what felt like an hour but was more like a minute he yelled "NOW DAVID!"

David bowed his head as his hands began to glow, making Marko and Paul stand in surprise. They both rushed to grab David's arms when he started to yell. Paul yelled to David "Oh shit hang on man!"

…

David's P.O.V.

'ARRGH FUCK THAT HURT!'

My hands where literally burning as I pulled both Elizabeth and Dwayne from the spirit world. The flesh had burned away to the bone, completely destroying my gloves. Nothing but a gnarly combination of black and red scar tissue remained. It's not the first time I've burned my hands but I certainly hope it's the last. The force of their return actually pushed me back, making me crash into Paul and Marko. They kept me from hitting the ground and pulled me back into a sitting position. On reflex I had pulled my hands to my chest. They were freaken smoking!

I grimaced silently to myself before glancing over my shoulder. "Are they ok?"

Paul jumped to Dwayne's side and helped him to sit up. "Yeah he's ok, just winded."

Marko was checking Elizabeth's neck for a pulse, then twisted his head to listen to her chest. "She… She's not breathing…" He looked to me in alarm.

I rushed to her side and shook her, trying not to let myself panic, ignoring the pain it caused me to touch her. "Elizabeth?! Elizabeth open your eyes! C'mon babe open your eyes!"

I can only guess that death itself had come for her… I have no idea if this will work. If I will be heard. But I gotta try. 'I pushed her to the edge of death. That's on me. I will pay the price for that. Not her! DO YOU HEAR ME!? NOT HER! I don't care who it is I'm talking to… but you better listen or you'll be sorry!'

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

Oh man everything ached… It felt like someone had tied me up between two trucks and gunned the bloody engine, ripping me in half. Nothing wanted to work. Accept my heart. That kept beating. Everything else seemed to have shut down but not my heart… strange. I could feel something touching my neck and chest but… I could also feel myself drifting away… deeper into the darkness… welcoming me into a very cold embrace. I could hear a voice but it was too far away for me to tell who or what it was.

Instead another voice spoke up. All around me… all at once. "You do not belong in the land of the living. You belong here, in the darkness."

The disembodied voice sighed as I could feel something constrict around my throat… my very soul. I choked and resisted the urge to succumb to its deathly grasp. "Let me go!"

"So many lives. So many lives have been and destroyed by you, Elizabeth Ryder. Come. I will give you the end you seek." Its grip tightened painfully around me.

Just then I could feel something shake me. It loosened the grip this entity had on me but it didn't let go. David's voice sliced through the darkness but I couldn't make out what he was saying… He did give me the strength to fight harder for my life. "No… NO! I'm not gonna die. I don't want to die!"

The disembodied voice laughed, strengthening its grip once more. "Yes you do child. I can hear you desire to die. It's in your song. You've called to me many times. Your father's words echo in the back of your mind. His four little words. I. Want. To. Die."

My resolve was weakening. It was true. Many of times I had wished to die but refused to just lie down and let it happen. For so long I had fought for survival yet wished it would end… I don't understand it... I don't understand a lot of things. "I…. I…"

"Shhhh. Come child. Come. It is over." The grip morphed into more or a caressing sensation, coaxing me to let it take me.

I was so tired. So close to get some rest at last. But… then I heard something. Something powerful. A voice filled with pain, anger, desperation and an ice cold will that challenged anything that had ears to hear it. "I pushed her to the edge of death. That's on me. I will pay the price for that. Not her! DO YOU HEAR ME!? NOT HER! I don't care who it is I'm talking to… but you better listen or you'll be sorry!"

'David…'

The disembodied voice scoffed. "Too late boy. She's crossed over."

I managed to summon the last of my will power, using anger to fuel myself. If this thing… whatever it was… tricked my farther into giving up like it's trying to do with me now… it just made my shit list. "Not… Today!"

I could suddenly feel my knife in my hand, like I had been hanging onto it this entire time. I flicked it open and hacked wildly at the darkness. I couldn't see anything but I must've been hitting my mark because it howled in pain and anger as it lost its grip on me. I could feel myself shooting back into consciousness, away from the howling creature, feeling my body properly this time. I forced my eyes to open but I could not get my lungs to work. I stared into the worried face of David as I clawed at my throat.

David's P.O.V.

She's suffocating! She can't get the air back in. So much so she had turned blue. I grabbed her hands to stop her from clawing out her own throat and pinned them by her side.

"Breathe Elizabeth! You gotta breathe!" She stared at me, absolutely petrified.

I grabbed her face with my damaged hands and stared her in the eye. I could feel my own burning through hers as I tried to breach her mind. As usual I can't push her! Despite her madness her mind is surprisingly strong, almost impervious to an external influence. But that's when I sensed it… a back door. It wasn't there before…

'What changed?' It's the mark! When I bit her the other night I had marked her… but I could only read her surface thoughts after that… Maybe when I fed from her last night… That must have weakened her defences! I focused on the mark and used it to link our minds just long enough to usher a single command.

"BREATHE!"

She gasped loudly at last and coughed up a storm as she forced her lungs to work. After a few more gulps of precious air she shot up and wrapped her arms around me. She was cold and shaking quite a bit. I held onto her as tight as I could without crushing her, with absolutely no intention of letting her go. No fucking way.

I sighed with relief "are you ok?" still holding her tightly.

She continued to shiver and somehow pressed herself closer to me. "Y… Yeah. I'm ok…"

Our link was gone… I couldn't see for myself if she really was so I was gonna have to take her word for it. I need to turn her as soon as possible… I can't lose her. I know that now.

Marko tuned in telepathically 'So… why haven't you turned her yet man? She's obviously crazy about you.'

'What makes you so sure?'

'Who's neck is currently being strangled half to death?'

'Point taken.'

'Well…'

'What?'

'Why haven't you turned her yet?'

'I needed to be sure first Marko. And now I am.'

Paul jumped in 'It's about damn time. That was so messed up… Sheesh I need a hit.' And patted down his jacket for a joint.

Dwayne finally recovered and joined in with the telepathic conversation. 'That was too close for comfort. The sooner you turn her the better. I won't worry so much then.'

'You and me both Dwayne.' I nod in agreement.

'I second that.' Chimed Marko

'Me too.' Added Paul.

'If we're all in agreement then it's decided. We'll make her an official sister tonight.' I looked to Dwayne 'Thank you for going after her.'

'No sweat man.' He smiled 'I know you'd do the same if you could. Hell thank you for pulling us out.'

'Anytime.'

Dwayne nods yet looked solemn. 'Listen, when she's one of us she'll no longer be compromised. She won't be haunted like she is now and will be able to defend herself with more than that mental barrier you were telling us about.'

'I hope you're right Dwayne. Like you said this was too close.'

'Hey Dwayne, how do you know all this stuff?' Asked Paul with the weed currently clouding his mind.

He smiled proudly 'My grandfather was a medicine man. A Shaman. Taught me everything I know, including the spirit walk.'

'Far out man.' Paul grinned, nodding with respect.

Elizabeth's P.O.V

They were all quiet and distracted again but that's ok… it was just nice to be held. I… hate to admit it but I'm afraid. That has never happened before… I've never had so much to lose before. It took a lot longer than I cared to admit to stop shaking but once I had I noticed David was holding me a little awkwardly. I leaned back slightly, which seemed to snap him out of his daydream with a grimace. He seemed to be holding me with his arms not his hands. I looked over my shoulder and gasped.

"David your hands!"

He muttered "shit" under his breath and let go of me. He tried to move his hands out of my line of sight. "I'm fine."

"Bull shit! Lemme see that!" I grabbed his wrists and took a closer look at the damage. "Oh my God…" They looked horrible… I'd never seen such a severe burn before. At least… not where the person with said burn lived to tell the tale.

He pulled his hands out of my grip and held them up for me to see. "I told you I'm fine." He clenched his fists then flexed his finger, making the flesh creek and groan. "See?"

He didn't even flinch… but I know that hurt him. I just know it. I gently held his wrists again and lowered his hands. "Ok… ok. Please don't do that."

David smirked as he nods. "Fine." I guess he found my reaction amusing or something… in any case we both seemed to be searching each other's eyes for an answer to an unspoken question. Are you really ok?

Dwayne spoke up, breaking our brief staring match. "You don't look so good little sista', are you sure you're ok?"

I looked to Dwayne with a smile. "Yeah… I'm feeling a little drained but I'm ok."

"To be expected I guess…" He nods.

"Are you ok? That whole spirit walk thing was pretty cool." I grinned, trying to brush off how serious this whole situation was.

"Yeah I'm good." He grinned back "Your old man was pretty bad ass too huh?"

"Your dad was there?" Piped up Marko. "What was he doing?

I thought about that for a minute "Looking for a ride…" and suddenly yawned.

"The Hitcher… Hitch hiking… makes sense." He mused.

David brushed a stray lock out of my face as he spoke. "You're tired. You should try to get some rest."

'Oh hell no!' "No way! I'm not sleeping for a week. Not after all that crap." I pulled the best don't-fuck-with-me expression I could muster.

This made all of them chuckle, which made me madder. Paul cooed. "Aw you're just a little freaked out. Here, it'll take the edge off." And handed me his joint.

I was about to protest and give it back on reflex but David caught my hand and pushed it gently towards my face. "He's got a point. Go ahead."

"But…" I was temporarily distracted by his hand. It looked a lot better now, just a lighter tinge of pink covered the entire surface. "Wow…" I was relieved, truly grateful that he was ok. When I looked into his eyes they were smiling. "I uh… don't do this sorta thing…"

He quirked an eyebrow "Would you… prefer a drink instead?"

The way he said that just felt so ominous to me. I mean it didn't sound sus' or anything so I guess it was just my gift doing its thing. I shook my head no and handed him the joint. "Nah… it'll give me nightmares." I dunno what's up… maybe I'm just being paranoid…

David nods and took a long drag on the joint. Which surprised me. I mean, I knew he was a smoker but I never saw him take a hit before. Once he had his fill he passed it back to Paul with a nod in thanks. Paul grinned back before popping it back into his mouth. As I stared at Paul, wondering what he was grinning about, David had rather sneakily cupped the back of my head. When I turned to ask him what was up he suddenly jerked me forward, catching my chin with his free hand and held my mouth open.

The sudden movement made me gasp in surprise. David blew smoke into my mouth as I inhaled then trapped my lips into a kiss, forcing me to hold the weed in, muffling my yelp in protest. I managed to push myself back and coughed the invasive smoke out of my lungs, keeping an arm between David and myself. In a fit of anger, I took a swipe at him, which he easily dodged just by leaning back. I growled and tried again to punch that audacious s.o.b. but he caught my fist and grinned, biding his time.

It didn't take long for my brain to be affected by the weed as I was overcome with a sense of… calm… mellow… It felt like I was kinda swaying with the tide. I must've been swaying for real because I was suddenly in David's arms again, resting my head on his shoulder. I could hear the others laughing and felt myself blush. He didn't retaliate and seemed to be completely unfazed with my aggressive reaction to his… well… feeding me weed.

"Aw she's a feather weight, gonna have to do something about that." Cooed Paul, earning a snicker from Marko.

I flipped him a very wonky bird and muttered "Fuck you." Then ran my thumb against my fingertips… damn that felt weird.

That earned an "Oooh" from Paul as he feigned injury to his chest.

"You forgot feisty dude." Joked Marko as he did a backward roll out of the beanbag. Which had me blinking as I tried to follow his movement.

David pulled me to sit upright again and chuckled darkly. I pouted and smacked him lightly in the chest. "You are one cheeky bastard you know that? You just have to have it your way don't you?"

He laughed as he hooked his arm under my legs and lifted me bridal styles, standing in one fluid motion. "I hate to lose. Not my style."

I rested my head on his shoulder and loosely wrapped my arms around his neck. "I usually hurt people for shit like that." My words were so spaced out… God… I must be stoned. One hit and I'm stoned.

David chuckled as he carried me towards the barricade and spoke in that 'know it all tone' "Oh I know babe… feels good doesn't it?"

I giggled. "Smart arse."

'Oh God I'm high… no wait… stoned… wait what? Huh?'

I was too tired to figure it out and passed out in his arms.

David's P.O.V.

I smiled as she fell asleep. Her arms dropped to the side and dangled slightly with every step I took. Dwayne had hopped ahead of us and opened the barricade. He held it open and smirked as we passed him. I thanked him and bade good night to the others as I carried her to our nest. They knew better than to tease right now. I was not in the mood to tolerate it. Or a lecture for that matter. Too bad she didn't want that drink… That truly was a missed opportunity to fix this mess.

Once in the old room I kicked the door closed behind me. She stirred slightly but didn't wake… lucky. I placed her gently in the centre of the nest and took my coat from here waist. I couldn't help but take in the view. Damn she was so sexy… I never understood why she hid herself before … I stopped myself from staring for too long and quickly covered her with a blanket… The last thing I need is a boner… Got far too much going on right now.

With a sigh, I tossed my coat aside and heard a metallic click as it hit the ground. I turned to see the Iron cross I kept all those years ago had fallen from its place and now rested on the other side of the room. I rolled my eyes and ignored it as I climbed into the nest next to Elizabeth. There was no way in hell I wanted to think about that time… What was the point? It was long gone… Right now I needed to think of a way to ask Liz if she would join us. Without it sounding gay, corny or sappy…

'Hmm… maybe it'll be easier if I just trick her into it, the good old spiked wine trick… Yeah that'll go down well… Like Max's master plan to trick the whole Emerson family to join our ranks just to get Lucy… Dickhead. I won't make that same mistake. I don't have to. She knows what we are already. Knows that vampires exist… and doesn't give a shit. Hell she loves the thrill of the kill as much as we do.'

I grinned as I recollected her reaction. The way her eyes lit up as she slashed that kids throat… and that surf Nazi. The way her lips parted with the rush it gave her. The blood. She looked so good covered in blood. Even more so when she was in that frenzied state a few nights ago… I chuckled as I pulled my deadly girl closer to me. She hummed in her sleep and snuggled into my chest. I traced her mark before wrapping her tightly in my arms.

"I'm never letting you go Elizabeth. No one will take you away from me. No one."

…

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

I awoke to the sensation of being wrapped up tightly and very warm. For a second there I thought I'd been cocooned again and grinned at the memory of a good practical joke. When I opened my eyes, I saw I was not mummified in a blanket, but in a sleeping David's embrace. We were lying on our sides and his chin rested atop my head. At some point in my drug induced slumber, I had nuzzled into the crook of the neck. I wriggled slightly to see if I could slip out without waking him but somehow, he tightened his grip even more…

'Well shit… I'm gonna have to wake him…'

Now… the conventional means to wake someone would be shake them or say something right? Since when did I conform to anything? Not to mention I was still pissed about the whole weed thing… With a sly smile and a wicked thought, I leaned up and sank my teeth into his neck. Biting hard enough to bruise but not enough to cut him. He inhaled sharply and grabbed a fist full of my hair, growling as he pulled my face away from his neck. Wincing slightly since he pulled my hair, I let go of his throat and chewed my lip as I stared up into his amber eyes.

They burned right through me as he spoke through his teeth. "Minx" and hissed the end bit.

'Oh shit, I'm in trouble now…' I grinned darkly as I traced his jawline with a single finger. "Have I seduced you with my cunning and flirtatious ways David?" because that's what a minx is after all… at least that's how I understand the definition.

A low growl rumbled from deep within his chest as he shoved me onto my back. He pounced on top of me, trapping my arms by my sides with his legs as he straddled my waist. He leaned on his left arm as he used his right hand to trace my lips with a VERY sharp nail. He spoke lowly, sounding very dangerous. "Who seduced whom?"

I squirmed beneath him, feeling very vulnerable but I maintained my bravado. "Hmmm… who indeed?" and chuckled, trapping his nail between my teeth.

He ripped his nail from my teeth and clasped my jaw, twisting my head roughly to expose my neck. He leaned in close enough to feel his warm breath against my flesh, giving me goose bumps. "You really do like to play with fire don't you?" and grazed his teeth against where he bit me last night.

I panted heavily from a weird combination of fear and arousal. "Yes…"

I could feel his fangs just aching to puncture my skin. "Are you sure you want to play this game with me?"

'Oh dear God I'm gonna die' I whispered "…Yes" and closed my eyes. I didn't really know what this game was but… I was hooked.

He hummed as he leaned in further but instead of puncturing my throat his tilted his face to whisper into my ear. "I don't think so."

He pulled himself away and rolled off me, now lying on his back as he smiled smugly. I let out a long sigh, breathing out "prick" as I did. He chuckled as I turned to face him. "What is it gonna take to prove that I am?" I'm so damn hot and bothered right now it's not funny.

"Well that depends on how far you're willing to go." He grinned as he hooked his hands behind his head.

'What the hell does that mean?' I rolled onto my side and held my head in my hand, leaning my elbow into the ground. "You're not gonna make this easy for me are you?"

He slowly shook his head no. "Nope."

I slowly sat up and slipped onto his waist, hovering my face just an inch above his, ghosting my lips over his. I whispered sensually "Two can play this game David."

With a smirk, I slipped off of him, rolling out of the blanket that barely cover me and stood up. I glanced over my shoulder to see he had closed his eyes and grinned, chuckling away to himself. With a seedy grin of my own I slipped on his coat and buttoned it enough to cover my bare ass. I spotted something shiny on the ground and picked it up without really thinking about it, palming it as it were.

David's voice was right in my ear. "That's my coat."

I spun around and did my best to hide that he just scarred the crap outta me. "It's a good one."

"That it is." He countered with a smirk.

I giggled as I placed my hands on his chest. "You'll get it back as soon as I find my pants."

He chuckled and rubbed my shoulders. I could see his hands were 100% healed now. "Are you heading out?"

I nod once "yeah."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" He asked with a frown, holding my shoulders tightly. "You look rather pale…"

"I'm fine David. The fresh air will do me some good..." I offered a smile to try and placate him, his grip was getting kinda painful.

He seemed to realize this and loosened his grip. "You need to rest… You almost died yesterday."

"That's exactly why I need to be up and moving around… If I stay still after a close call…" I didn't wanna finish that. If I stay still, it feels like 'they' will catch up with me. Who the illusive 'they' are, I did not know… my victims… demons… but I do know just how crazy it sounds to say ANY of that aloud. I shook my head and brushed it off with a laugh. "Anyway, I have a near death experience every other day. It's no big deal."

David seemed to be thinking long and hard… it's funny… not that long ago I would not have cared if I had his blessing or not. So much has changed. By rights I should be seriously pissed off with this guy and have driven a steak through his heart by now. But… I can't. The very idea of hurting him made me sick… and I have no idea why. Is this, what love is? Or is it a pathological possessiveness on my part? I had no idea… none.

David broke my train of thought. "Maybe you should ride? I don't like the idea with you walking out in the afternoon sun… you're dehydrated enough as it is."

I pinched myself to see my skin taking a while to go back to normal. He was right. I was dry. I shook my head with a smile. "I don't trust myself to ride straight. Don't worry about me David. I've been in worse conditions than this. Trust me ok?"

He didn't like it. Despite his face being a blank wall I just knew he did not like this. He sighed and let go of my arms. "Ok… I trust you. Well just catch up with you later then."

"Sure." I smiled brightly "Thanks David" and kissed his cheek.

"Don't mention it." He semi smiled, it was in his eyes, not his face. I made a move for the door and saw he was right behind me. I tilted my head slightly and he smirked. "I want my coat back."

I grinned right back. "You just wanna see if I'll fall on my face dontchya?"

He chuckled. "Wouldn't miss the sight of your bare ass in the air for the world." And winked.

I laughed in pure shock as I headed out the door. "You are depraved you know that. No shame whatsoever."

He laughed and spanked me, actually spanked me! "You love it."

I squeaked as I hopped forward. Giggling as I tried to walk, hold the wall and rub my butt at the same time. Quite the feat! I managed to make it to the lobby without tripping on anything and sure enough Marko was up as usual. He was sitting on the back of the couch, flicking through a comic from the look of things. It seems like in all the commotion last night no one thought to grab my clothes and bring them inside… I couldn't see my shorts or underwear anywhere.

Marko looked up and smiled. "Oh hey guys."

"Hey Marko, didn't your mother ever tell you not to sit on the edge of the couch?" I teased as I walked over to my bag and pulled out a fresh pair of undies and black jeans. I didn't feel like changing out of my boob tube or jacket.

Marko laughed "yeah, she failed miserably."

I laughed as I slipped my clothes on without revealing an inch of my naked hide. David had spoken up. "Still can't sleep?"

"Nah…" Marko shrugged.

While David was distracted with their conversation I pulled off his coat and examined what I found earlier. An Iron cross. I couldn't tell if it was from the first or second world war but I did know this was a German medal. Why would he have this? Was it just a punk accessory or something else? Out of pure curiosity and a desire to take a closer look I stuffed it into my back pocket and folded his coat over my arm. I wondered over to the chattering boys and handed David his coat back.

He smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Well I'll see you guys later."

"Wait you're going out?" queried Marko.

"Yup" I beamed and turned around, heading for the exit.

"She's fine Marko."

"wow man…"

I shook my head. What was the big deal? As I stepped out I shielded my eyes from the sun and spotted my clothes. With a single scoop I bundled them up and walked back in, placing my clothes inside my bag. After fishing about said bag for a minute I manage to find some loose cash and quickly pocketed it. Then I found my sunnies and popped them on. I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked over to the vampires who seemed to be watching every move I made.

I kissed David goodbye and waved to Marko as I passed him. He was snickering away for some reason. Before I reached the stairs, I spotted something metallic in the sand. I squat down to see it was the gun I took from the surf Nazi's last night. Carefully, I plucked it out of the sand and dusted it off. I pulled the chamber back I ascended their stairs to let any sand drop out. The damn thing would probably jam the first time I use it.

'Now I need a VERY cold dip in the ocean to extinguish that fire David started. Hot damn that guy has a direct line to my libido. Crickey Moses!'

David's P.O.V.

I watched her leave, cursing the sun for impeding my progress. She was so close. So very close to being one of us. One more push to our way of thinking… That's all we need. The transition will be smooth and seamless. As though she were born to be a vampire. Most people would be confined to bed with the amount of punishment this girl has been through. But not her. There she goes as strong as ever, looking down the barrel of a gun as though this was all perfectly normal. Just another day in the office.

She challenges my authority, defies me, can keep her wits about her and completely riles me. How in hell did she get so under my skin like that?! It's gonna take me an hour to get rid of this freaken boner unless I do something about it... With a sigh I flicked my coat back on and fished out my cigarettes, tapping the box against my hand before taking a single cancer stick with my lips. I could hear Marko snickering to himself as I lit myself up.

'Yeah keep laughing kid, just you wait until it happens to you… and when it does… I'm gonna use the salt.'

Marko laughed aloud. "Oh man you got it bad."

I glanced at him sideways. "Got what bad?"

"You know… 'it' The big IT." He grinned.

"I have no idea with what you're talking about. Get some sleep, you're becoming delirious."

"You got it boss!"

Marko laughed and practically ran to the barricade. He could probably sense how badly I wanted to wring his neck. Lucky for him, I'm more interested in smoking my cigarette right now.

…

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

'Oh my God….'

I hate to admit this but walking to town this afternoon was probably the dumbest thing I have ever done. And that's saying something. I had to stop three bloody times just to throw up. Weed, heat, dehydration, and near a death experience are not a healthy combination. Psycho or not. I don't even know how I made it to town. Just zoned out again. I didn't even make it to any of the food stands. Instead I kinda walked into a bench and collapsed onto it, hanging over the arm rest in a barely conscious state. Who knows how long I had been sitting there like that before I heard a familiar voice.

"Oi… Liz. Lizzy are you ok?" It sounded like Jimmy.

I looked up and sure enough, Jimmy was squatting down to be eye level with me, holding my shoulder. "Oh… hey Jimbo. Wassup mate?" Does this guy ever change his clothes?

"What happened to you? You look like shit!" He moved to touch my face but I pulled away with a chuckle.

"Wow, why don't you tell me what you really think." I tried to shoo him away but he caught my hands and pulled me to my feet.

"No really you look like death warmed up. You need a doctor." He ducked under my arm and started half guiding, half dragging me somewhere.

"No doctors. Please. I just need some water… something to eat…" I tried to pull away but… as it turns out I really needed the help.

"Alright fine, no doctors. But I'm getting you into the shade alright? Some place safe…" He was more or less dragging me along the boardwalk now.

"Safe?... from what?" I asked him, trying to make my legs work. This is so embarrassing. I was fine earlier. Stupid sunlight. Stupid heat making me little wimp.

Jimmy glanced at me as we approached an air conditioned shop. "Doesn't matter… Got some people I want you to meet."

I rolled my eyes and found my feet as we entered the premises. For some reason it felt like my neck was on fire. "Oh man Jimmy, I'm not in the mood to prospect for another gig mate… wait… are those comics?"

I was staring at a row of Superman comics when a very perky brunet raced out of nowhere. "Oh my gosh you look terrible! What happened!?"

'Am I at the Frog bro's comic book store?'

I looked up to see Zoe the she-wolf duck under my other arm as I was carried to the counter. Of all the placed for Jimmy to bring me to… why did he bring me here? Jimmy spoke up in his 'simper fi' kinda tone. "I dunno. But we're gonna find out. I knew something was wrong I just knew it. Bloody hell love what have you gotten yourself into?"

I was about to ask what the hell he was talking about when Zoe shushed him. "Slow down ace, first let's take care of your friend hmm?"

I was sat down on a not so comfy stool as Zoe raced off to the back of the store. I slumped heavily in my seat but managed to look Jimmy right in the eye. "What's going on Jimbo? Why are we here?"

He shifted on his feet and sort of avoided eye contact at first. "This is gonna sound a little crazy luv so just bear with me ok? You know how I've got a radar for trouble right?" He looked at me carefully.

I watched him with just as much concern… I didn't like where this was going. "Yeah…"

"Ok well…" He scratched his head, just above his ear. "I… Got one hell of a bad vibe when I met your boyfriend. And well… I did some recon, asked around town and bumped into someone who's come across him before… he's… he's a bad guy Liz…"

I blinked, rubbing my neck in both discomfort and my attempt to make it stop hurting. "I know you don't like him jimmy but you can't just go around believing what some jerk who's got a grudge for biased intel."

"She came across him. Not a he. She had proof-"

Before Jimmy could say anything else, Zoe returned with a tall glass of iced water and a handful of aspirin. I sipped at the water gratefully but eyed the pills, not trusting them at all. "They're just aspirin hon, see? Says so on the tablets."

I took a closer look and sure enough they were real deal. I popped two into my mouth and swallowed with a sip of water. I knew better than to drink it all at once… no matter how thirsty I was. "Thanks."

"Is this her?" A deep authoritative voice came from the back of the store.

"This is she, Elizabeth right?" answered Zoe, asking me for confirmation to which Jimmy answered for me with a nod.

Just then two men appeared from where the voice came from. Both dressed in army fatigues. You would be forgiven for thinking they were survivalists or something but I know who they are. What I didn't know was if I was gonna faint or have a panic attack… Zoe seemed to light up like a Christmas tree as she motioned her hand towards the duo. "Elizabeth. This is Edgar and Allan Frog."

"They can help you." Added Jimmy, sounding less enthusiastic but dead serious.

The Frog brothers nod their heads together in unison with a grunt. "Hmm." … which I think passed for a greeting with these two.

'Oh shit…..'


	21. Up that creak...

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

'Oh shit! OH SHIT! Oh fucking shit! What do I do!? Just stay calm and play it cool… Oh Fuck! Shit just got complicated! Oh man how did Jimmy get caught up in all of this? Who is this fucking informant that raised his suspicions in the first place!? A woman. I gotta find out who that is and silence them… permanently.'

Everything moved in slow motion as my brain processed my options at the speed of light. Jimmy was holding himself tensely but was not expecting trouble. Zoe was still smiling at the Frog brothers but… she was ready to pounce if necessary. Both of the Frog brothers were watching me closely. Edgar was staring at my neck. The front door was too far for me to make a quick exit in my current condition… and there was the back of the store… hopefully there's a bathroom with a window in there. Time returned to normal as I nod back in greeting. Despite having a-not-so-minor freakout session inside my head I didn't let it show… got years of practice to fall back on… Instead I make it look like I'm racking my brain for an elusive memory.

I took another sip of iced water then hummed as I faked the recollection. "You're the ones that made those Vampire comics. Great artwork! I'm not really feeling up to it now but I was wondering if I could get a few pointers on how I could make my own comics later?" I asked nicely, brushing off the situation like I had no idea as to what everyone was inferring to.

Alan smiled, in fact his whole face lit up when I complemented the artwork. Edgar however, frowned. "Now is not the time to be talking about comics."

Alan glanced at his brother before returning his face to the stoic expression he held earlier. "Yeah. We got more important things to discuss."

I blinked a few times, making myself look very confused. "Uh… ok. Well is this gonna take long? I really gotta get something to eat."

Jimmy held my shoulder and looked sympathetic. "You better make yourself comfortable luv…"

Before I could ask why Zoe piped up "I might have something left over from lunch." She moved behind the counter and fished out a bag of Dorito's. "Here ya go" and handed them to me. Edgar had flashed her a glare but she waved it off.

'What no human hearts? Nah that's too obvious…' I dismissed my speculation for a werewolf's food of choice and smiled. "Uh… thanks..." I nibbled on a chip slowly, unsure if my stomach could take the msg on cheese. "So… what the hell is going on?"

Jimmy looked around nervously, trying to think of what to say. "Well… I know you don't ask for help and are sometimes oblivious to when you need it… so-"

"Your boyfriend is a vampire." Stated Edgar bluntly in a serious tone, cutting Jimmy off from his more… subtle approach. He obviously didn't have the patience for this sorta thing.

"What's worse is that his description matched a vampire we've faced before." Added Alan in a similar tone."

"That's not possible. He's dead!" Shot Edgar angrily.

Alan just shrugged. "Maybe it's a twin or maybe he was resurrected." Edgar seemed to ask Alan with his eyes "really?" to which he simply nodded in return.

Jimmy spoke up, pissed with being cut off and with the situation. "Well I guess you bloody missed didn't ya!? If you had done your job properly in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess huh!?"

"The man was gored, right here!" Retorted Edgar angrily. He pointed to his chest, showing David had his heart and lung punctured by antlers of all things. "No way he survived that! The cops took away their bodies-"

During this rather heated argument I had every so silently slipped from the stool and started to walk away. Zoe spotted my escape attempt and almost yelled. "Hey wait! Where are you-?"

"I've heard enough!" I yelled above everyone, feeling a little light headed when I did. My neck was still burning but I had long since tuned it out. I turned around and held the counter for stability. "It's one thing to dislike someone and speak poorly of them." I stared at Jimmy then the Frog brothers. "But it's something else to be dragged into your fucked up fantasy land! Vampires are not real!"

I shook my head at Jimmy before turning to leave. Alan spoke up in a more smoother tone. "Have you ever had your mind get all foggy? Like something just came over you and found yourself saying or doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do?"

I spun around again and smiled bitterly. "Yeah, it's called getting drunk or stoned." The answer was yes and no. It was only an impulse and I chose to ignore it… but… was David responsible for those urges?

Either my expression shifted or Alan had a sense for this sorta thing. He stepped closer and nods. "Yeah… but have you noticed that some things are just not important to you anymore. Like obligations to friends, family, or your job?"

I narrowed my eyes at Alan, not liking his line of questioning. "You don't know me. You have no right to ask such personal questions."

Jimmy butted in. "But I do. Where's your guitar? You NEVER let that out of your sight. Have you even been practicing? We used to be as thick as thieves but now we clash like we're enemies or something…. All in little over a week!"

I took a step back. I needed to leave. Before someone got hurt. "People change Jimmy."

"Not that fast." Jimmy countered, moving to box me in.

"And your neck… It's hurting right now isn't it?" Queried Alan.

I covered it on reflex. "What are you talking about?"

Edgar spoke up. "We saw the bite." He pointed to the signs above the front entrance. Holy symbols and signs stating 'you are not invited' had been cleverly concealed with the comic paraphernalia everywhere. "His kind are not welcome here."

"You've been marked." Clarified Alan as he took another step closer. "It means he intends to turn you, among other things… You are in serious trouble. Not only for your life but for your soul. Please let us help you."

I was in trouble alright. I gotta play the crazy dismissal card. "You do know how crazy this sounds right?"

"Yeah… but it doesn't stop it from being true…" Alan was finally close enough to hold my shoulder. "Look… I've been there. I've been halfway. I know what they are and how they think. He may have claimed to care about you… but as soon as you die… he'll get another girl. You're just a fling to him." He was speaking gently now, carefully, keeping his voice even and calm.

'You don't know him!' That was my initial reaction. I was so mad I was ready to grab my knife and jam it into his neck. But he did sow a seed of doubt. Had David been messing with my head? Am I just a fling? An expendable toy he can throw away once he's had his fill? Why not? Everyone else has treated me like that. Used me the threw me away… I am nothing to my mother… My father left me… Jimmy is holding me at an arm's length and will ditch me when he finds another charity case… I am nothing… I am alone… Something seemed to be re-enforcing that thought, filling me with a sense of dread.

'Woah slow down with the self-destruct girl. Think about this. Why would David pull you back from the spirit world if he didn't care? Why would your father be walking up and down that fucking road looking for you… despite being dead… if he didn't care? And Jimmy… He is just trying to help… he doesn't know you're a psycho, you kept that from him and haven't been bothered to maintain some of your façade lately…'

Sometimes… My inner voice can make a lot of sense… and on even rarer occasions… provides me with comfort. This was also an opportunity for me to flee. It's time to play the hysterical-damsel-in-denial card… I screwed my face up and shook my head no. I shook it again and wrapped my arms around my stomach. Crocodile tears streamed down my face as I doubled over, 'trying' to supress a sob. Alan still held my shoulder and when he moved to rub my back I shoved him off me. No one touches my scars dammit!

'Except David' reminded my inner self in a sing song kinda voice. I had to stop myself from smiling… The proof is in the pudding… I really do trust him.

Jimmy held his hands up as he approached me and muttered "don't touch her back…"

Alan mouthed "Oh" and backed off, pulling a grimace, not really understanding the gravity of such an act.

Jimmy held my shoulder then pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry about all this… I really am."

I cried into his chest. "This is fucked up! It's crazy!" and continued to 'cry' my eyes out. I babbled "This c-can't b-be real!"

Jimmy sighed sadly as he pats my head. "You know it is luv…"

"Just tell us where to find him and we'll take care of the rest." Alan offered gently. Edgar had folded his arms and looked very uncomfortable with the whole 'gentle' approach his brother was taking.

I made myself look too out of it, too shocked to respond properly, still gripping Jimmy's singlet tightly. "I…. I… I don't know…" then hung my head, looking too sick to stand up straight.

"Then tell us what you do know." Demanded Edgar, obviously running out of patience.

Zoe spoke up and gently held my shoulders, making Jimmy let go of me. "Chill out Edgar, give her a minute…" Then turned her attention to me. "Let's get you cleaned up first. Maybe once you're feeling better we can talk. Does that sound ok to you?" Edgar huffed and looked away, arms still folded.

I nod and offer a grateful smile to Zoe as she guided me to the back of the store. We passed through a small staff lounge. Nothing fancy, just a couch, t.v., random potted plant, corded telephone that sat neatly on a small table, and a water cooler in the corner. There was a door on the furthest side of the room. Zoe steered me towards it and I made sure to sniffle as I wiped away another tear. She opened the door to reveal a simple bathroom. Like with all bathrooms, a mirror hung above the sink. Much to my relief, there was a window barely wide enough for me to squeeze through too. Unfortunately, it was high off the ground. I was gonna have to climb on top of the dunny (that's the toilet) to reach it.

I turned to face Zoe and muttered a broken "thank you."

She looked genuinely sorry for me. "Take your time hon. It's not every day you find out your boyfriend is a vampire."

'I guess that's quite true.' I hid my amusement and simply stared at the ground, shouldering the strap for my bag as a sign of insecurity.

Zoe gave me a gentle push inside as she spoke. "Holler if you need anything." And closed the door behind me.

I let out a silent sigh as I thought 'sucker' as I tuned the tap on. At first I was just gonna use that to muffle the sounds of my escape but I decided to freshen up a little first. The cold liquid felt wonderful against my sun-kissed face as I pelted handfuls at a time to my cheeks before rinsing my mouth out. I slipped my bag from my shoulder and fished through it until I found my toothbrush and paste. Suddenly I could hear muffled voices and crept towards the door. I brushed my teeth slowly as I pressed one ear against the door and blocked the other with my finger.

The muffled voice of Edgar growled "why are we being all careful with this girl!?"

Zoe's bright yet hushed tone responded "because Jimmy said if we're rough with her she will either get aggressive or flee… we need her help or we will never find where the blood sucker sleeps."

"You really think he moved?"

"Why would he stay? Surely he'd think that would be the first place any half decent hunter would look."

"Only we would look there. To everyone one else it's just a condemned death complex."

"If you say so… anyway, our informant said there is more to her than meets the eye and we should keep her close."

"I don't trust this chick, or the informant."

"You don't trust anyone Edgar."

"That's not true. I trust Alan and I trust you."

"What about Michael and Star?"

"Michael and I haven't spoken in years."

"Why?"

"Because… because of Sam." He sounded remorseful with this reason.

Zoe seemed a little lost for words. "Oh… Well… but… if this David, is the same guy you faced before… shouldn't you warn him that he's back?"

He sighed before answering "… Yeah… we should… We might need his help. Like I said, I don't trust this informant. There's something about her…"

I would've listened for longer but I felt like I was pushing my luck as it is. I spat the paste out and rinsed my mouth again, relieved that my mouth no longer resembled a puke festival. Ugh I hate that taste. When I looked up I damn near had a heart attack with what I saw. My reflection stared back at me but it was all wrong. My hair was dishevelled with a blonde, uneven streak. The blood vessels in my eyes had burst, making them weep bloodied tears. There was a rope burn around my neck and my face looked like I had the living shit kicked out of me… worse that any beating I had suffered thus far.

The shadows began to shift and dart around behind me as my image became more nightmarish… resembling the dark ones Dwayne and I narrowly escaped during out trip to the afterlife. I was hyperventilating as my reflection proceeded to gouge her own eyes out. With a barely human growl, I threw my fist into the mirror, causing the glass to shatter into the sink, cutting my hand while I was at it. I gasped at the surge of pain that shot up my entire arm and quickly ran to lock the bathroom door. Just in time too. The doorknob rattled loudly as soon as I locked it.

I had my back pressed against the door, leaving a bloodied handprint behind me as I shut my eyes and willed the darkness away. 'Fuck off! Fuckofffuckofffuckoff'. … When I opened my eyes the shadows were back where they belonged.

'Why is this happening now? I haven't had an… episode… like this since I was a kid…'

Zoe's voice yelled through the barrier between us. "What happened!? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" Came my weak reply. I stared at my hand as it bled profusely. 'Shit.'

"You don't sound fine. Unlock this door!"

"I SAID I'M FINE!"

Zoe knocked on the door and rattled the knob again. "Open this door!"

"GIMME A FUCKING MINUTE!" I kicked the door with the heel of my boot.

I heard her gasp and jump back. Then muttered "You didn't tell me she was crazy…"

"She's eccentric and hates to be coddled. Not crazy." Came Jimmy's reply.

'If only you knew mate…'

Well it won't take Zoe, Jimmy and Edgar long to break down the door so I'd better take my leave. While I'd love to loiter about and try to comprehend what I just saw… I really needed to get the fuck out of dodge. I didn't even bother wrapping my hand up. No time. I just grabbed my bag, jumped on top of the toilet seat and fidgeted with the latch to open the narrow smoky glassed window. My right hand was useless thanks to the cut across my knuckles. Not because I found the pain debilitating but because my blood made the latch slippery, very difficult to grip.

I flinched as someone threw their shoulder into the door, making the wooden structure bounce violently back into place. One more hit like that and it'll come right off its hinges. I muttered a string of insults and decided to go hostile on the window instead. Fuck being quiet. My elbow slammed into the glass with enough force to break bone but thankfully it wasn't that thick. The glass shattered messily, leaving several jaggered pieces bordering its frame. I used my already bloodied fist to knock the stray pieces off before throwing my bag through the gap.

I was in the process of hoisting myself through the opening, seeing a messy alley separating the comic store from an adjacent building, when I heard the door get busted down. Just as I was about halfway out, someone grabbed my legs. I twisted myself violently, bringing myself to face the sky. I raised my leg and shin kicked whoever was dumb enough to grab me, right in the face. They suddenly let go on impact, sending me flying out the window and landed on top of my bag… at least it was a soft buffer for the sudden drop. A rush of air escaped me but much to my delight, it didn't hurt as much as it would have a few days ago. I guess my ribs were healing… slowly…

I blinked as the bloodied face of Edgar leaned out of the window. Boy did he look pissed. He yelled over his shoulder "she's in the alley" before looking up at the sky. I know what he was thinking. 'It's sunset…' Knowing backup was inbound he ducked back into the bathroom. I awkwardly got to my feet, stumbled a bit as I grabbed my bag, and high tailed it for the street. Alan jumped into the opening when I was maybe three steps away from my exit, barring my escape. I literally skidded to a halt, grazing my knee as I shifted my weight and sprinted back into the alley. I was moving two times slower than normal thanks to being so sick earlier… I simply had no fuel for a high speed chase. Alan was right behind me, yelling "STOP!"

I pulled a stack of crates behind me, slowing him down as another set of footsteps followed. There was no fire escape this time. I ran into the corner of the dead end alley, the concrete on my left and the wall on my right. I turned around, put my back into the corner, and began to shimmy up the wall, bracing myself against the sides. My arms shook from the exertion and only just managed to shimmy high enough out of Alan's and Jimmy's reach. Jimmy yelled "What are you doing!?" but I was too busy trying not to fall then to answer him. I finally managed to hoist myself over the wall separating this alley from the next and sat on the ledge, trying to catch my breath. Much to my annoyance, Zoe was on the other side, waiting for me.

"Fuck." 'Bloody she-wolf and her bloody stamina.'

"Liz think about what you're doing! I know we're freaking you out and your reaction to that is to bolt but be reasonable!" Jimmy pleaded. "You're sick and you're hurt, let us help you!"

I don't wanna hurt Jimmy… ever… but if this persists I might have no choice. "Just leave me alone!"

I didn't listen to anything else they had to say and pulled myself onto my feet. With a desperate huff I threw myself towards the adjacent store, gripping the ledge for its roof. It was so damn hard to hold on thanks to the cut on my hand and my arms had well and truly turned to Jelly. But… by some twisted miracle I managed to hoist myself onto the roof. I rolled, not climbed, rolled onto the flat surface and stared into the darkening sky. Thanking my lucky stars for my great escape and not minding the bumpy feeling from having my bag digging into my back. My ribs were burning from their injury as I fought to catch my breath. The world kinda spun on me for a bit and that's when I realized my hand was still bleeding.

I sat up and pulled my bag onto my lap, fishing through it for something to bind my hand. I pulled out a spare shirt and only just managed to wrap it around my fist when I heard some commotion on the other side of the building. Figuring there was a fire escape and that one of my pursuer's was using it, I quickly got to my feet. Most folks would run in the opposite direction of the sound but the gap between stores was too wide, too far without a running leap. I tightened the strap for my bag, securing it diagonally around my chest and sprinted towards the source of the metallic rattle.

Just as a head popped up above the railing, I had taken a flying leap, slapping whoever it was as I flew past. I heard a deep yell then a clank, suggesting that their head had slammed into the railing thanks to the force behind my slap. Unfortunately, sneaking that hit into my escape threw my balance off, changing my judicatory as I fall towards another building. I missed the roof. Instead I crashed through a window and rolled to a stop on a dusky wooden floor. During the tumble I had slammed into a few unclothed mannequins and found myself pinned beneath them…

David's P.O.V.

'Something is wrong…'

The cave was in complete disarray. Everything had been destroyed by some unknown conflict. Debris were scattered everywhere… even my chair had been smashed to pieces. The scent of death permeated the air and it filled me with a sense of dread. I searched frantically for my brothers… for Elizabeth… but there was no trace of them. How is that even possible!?

Then I heard a woman's laugh behind me. I turned to see five people masked by the darkness and for some reason my sight failed to define their features. The only detail I could discern was that of a violet glow. The glow sat in the eye sockets of those who stood around a central figure. This figure was that of a woman. The glow that accompanied her originated around her neck. The woman stepped forth to reveal that bitch! The one who tried to summon us in the first place. The Mistress.

She pointed to something behind me and I felt compelled to look. There sat my Elizabeth, bound and gagged by rope. She had been beaten to within an inch of her life. She shook from the pain but showed no weakness. She stared with hatred at her aggressors and struggled against her restraints. I wanted to help her but I couldn't move!

"David my pet."

Enraged, I spat "I am not your pet!" and turned to face her again to see her caressing one of the shadowed figures face. Their eyes ever glowing with her amethyst necklace.

She spoke with such a sickly sweet tone that it made my skin crawl in disgust. "Why don't you kill this street trash so we can be on our way?"

My own voice came from her side. "Yes my Mistress."

"What!? No!" I yelled and tried to move again in vain.

I watched myself step from the darkness in my vampiric form. I watched myself approach Elizabeth, earning a snarl of pure hatred from her. I watched as my double grab her throat. Tears were streaming down her cheeks for she was wounded by this… but despite the sorrow in her eyes… She said "fuck you", muffled by the gag in her mouth… Defiant to the end… I snapped her neck.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I awoke with my brothers as I always did. Shaken and stirred by that dream… for that's all it was… a dream. I shook it from my mind. Everything seemed normal… Dwayne and Paul were beginning to stir whereas Marko remained dead to the world, thanks to his early morning strolls. The wind continued to hum in the distance, funnelled by the tunnel complex that would rival any rabbit warren. It sounded like the ocean seemed to be a little choppier than usual… but there were no sounds or scents that would suggest trouble… So why did I feel so uneasy… and why was my hand hurting?

I dropped from the pole and flipped before touchdown, landing comfortably on my feet. As I pulled on my boots my right hand smarted again but upon closer inspection there was nothing wrong with it. I clenched my fist and could feel the flesh tear open as though it had been cut by introducing blunt force against something sharp…. Maybe even a fracture across the knuckles…. Then the pain was gone. Try as I might that dream would not leave my mind. It was far too surreal to dismiss as subconscious rhetoric.

Dwayne suddenly dropped down beside me, snapping me from my thoughts. "What gives David?"

I took an unnecessary breath before looking at him. "I don't know. But something is very wrong."

Paul spoke from the rafters, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Wrong as in something is not quite right? Or wrong as in the shit is about to hit the fan?" Then shook Marko awake.

I looked up and stated coldly. "I'm going for door number two boys… Prepare for war."

"Ah shit." Mutter Marko.

"Major understatement dude." Agreed Paul with Marko's disdain.

We took to the air and flew out of the cave, ignoring our bikes completely. "Keep an eye out for Elizabeth. I think she's in danger."

"How can you know that man?" asked Paul, looking every bit as confused as all of us. "She's not even half-."

"I don't know alright!?" I snapped harshly, shutting up his questions for now. 'Becoming a head vampire did not come with an instruction manual!' I thought angrily to myself. I hated admitting when I didn't know something.

"The rules are different with Liz." Offered Dwayne despite my temper. "It could just be his bond with her. She is his mate…"

Paul seemed to consider this. "I guess that kinda makes sense…" He kept his distance from me, knowing his proximity would only piss me off some more.

As usual, Dwayne had a point… 'but is our bond strong enough for me to feel her physical pain? I know it's her hand that had been cut. How I know is beyond me. There is nothing to link us. My blood is not in her veins so how could I feel her pain?'

I shook the thought from my mind as we approached the boardwalk. Now was not the time to find the answer to this riddle. Paul and Marko dropped into an alley and merged with the crowd, taking to streets to begin their search while Dwayne and I took the high ground. Dwayne flew to the other side of the boardwalk as I landed on a nearby rooftop, scanning my surroundings. Then it hit me. The most delicious smell in the world drifted with the wind… The smell of her blood… A mixture of hunger, lust and fear flooded my senses and it took more than I cared to admit to shake it off. Once centred I took to the air again, following her scent.

I landed on the rooftop of the old comic store. From the look of things, it had been remodelled but it still reeked of the Frog brothers… and something else. By eying the alley I could see Elizabeth's blood trail as clearly as one would see liquid lithium. I followed it to an adjacent building where the blood had pooled upon the roof, then the flow ceased completely. I dipped my fingers into the puddle to feel her blood was cool but still fresh, this happened recently. Temptation hit me to savour the taste once more but I was distracted by a very familiar voice. I dashed to the edge of the roof and squat low to avoid detection as I peered into the street.

Private dipshit was standing with none other than Edger fucking Frog. My blood boiled as the memory of my brothers' demise flashed within my mind, making me want to jump down there and end this once and for all. Before I could, two more people emerged from the store across the way, shaking their heads in bewilderment. It was Alan and the She-wolf Elizabeth mentioned as somebody's squeeze. I could smell the beast from here. Lucky for me, I'm down wind.

Alan secured a large combat knife to a harness attached to his shoulder as he spoke. "She's like a ghost, just freaken disappeared!"

Jimmy shook his head as he placed his hands on his hips. "That's it. We're done. We won't find her now."

"What the hell does that mean?" Spat Edgar angrily.

"It means she's gone. We blew it. She's probably skipped town. That's her usual M.O. When things get too tough or scary she runs. (He made a 'poof' sound as he expanded his hands) Disappears… and we won't find her unless she wants to be found."

Edgar frowned as he spoke. "That's not good enough. She's sick and she's hurt. She couldn't have gotten very far. Alan, take Zoe and check out the boardwalk. I'm gonna lock up the store and check around the back alleys. You." Points to Jimmy. "Search this area with a fine tooth comb. If she is hiding here she might come out for you alone… since you're her friend and all."

'She's hurt? She's sick? What the hell did they do to her!? I'll tear them apart I swear!'

'Woah David calm down man! What's going on?' Marko's voice echoed in my head, forcing me to reign my temper in for now.

'I got eyes on the Frog brothers. Elizabeth was last seen two stores West of their old comic shop.'

'On our way.' Reported Dwayne.

'Stay down wind, there is a Lycan with them.' I warned them.

Paul jumped in. 'Do you know what breed it is?'

'Not sure. I believe she is a part of the 'wolf-man' species. Which means she's fast but not that strong. Impossible to know for certain without tasting her blood or seeing her true form.'

'Copy that.' Added Dwayne as the link went silent.

I resumed eves dropping on the conversation below me. "I doubt it." Jimmy countered with a deadpan voice.

"You never know." Added the Lycan before they all parted ways.

My eyes locked on to the ex-soldier as he stared at the ground. He kicked a stray can out of his way as he searched the area for Elizabeth… He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings… This and the fact that I know he wants her for himself is all that compelled me to drop into the shadows behind him. To his credit, he sensed the change in the atmosphere. He knew he was in danger and quickly spun around to face the threat… all soldiers develop that kinda instinct… It didn't save him though. I pounced from the darkness and shoved him into a brick wall, then grabbed him and threw him deeper into the alley, away from prying eyes. He landed poorly into a stack wooden crates and garbage, groaning from the pain as he forced himself to his feet.

I approached him slowly. My steps were loud and deliberate as I spoke to him in greeting. "Hey Jimmy" and grinned darkly.

"David." He greeted in return, masking his pain and his fear with humour. "Fancy meeting you here. What can I do for you?" He slipped his hand behind his back as he stood straighter.

"Hmm… what can you do for me?" I pretended to think about it as I walked towards him, savouring the look of terror in his eyes. "Well I'm looking for a fiery girl who's about yay high…" I measured her height as I spoke. "… Grey eyes, charming smile with a devilish smirk." I stopped a few feet away from him before continuing. "Seen her around lately?"

Jimmy surprised me by standing his ground. He didn't back away like I half expected him to. "Nah mate, can't say that I have."

"Really?" I accused, toying with him and he knew it.

He squared his shoulders and hardened his features. "I know what you are…"

I quirked an eyebrow and laughed at his boldness, sending a shiver up his spine. "And do you think that makes me less dangerous, or more dangerous?"

Jimmy took a breath and pulled out a wooden stake from behind his back. "I know what you are. And what you've been doing to her. You. Won't. Have. Her."

"Is that so?" I growled as I resumed walking towards him, shifting into my vampiric form. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because now she knows what you are and fled!" He charged at me with his stake in hand.

I caught his wrist and snapped his hand, exposing the bone currently poking out of his wrist. Making him scream in agony. I grabbed him by his throat and slammed him into the wall, raising him up off the ground. He stared in horror as I growled in rage. No one will take her away from me. Not him, not the Frog brothers, not even death himself… but now that I was closer to him… I could smell her scent all over his body. She has been in HIS ARMS!

I roared as I dropped his feet to the ground and shoved my fist through his stomach. A strangled cry escaped his lips as I snarled "Did you touch her!? Did you hold her!? Did you kiss her!? She is mine do you hear me!? MINE!"

Jimmy screamed in pain as I plunged my fist deeper. He grabbed my wrist with his good hand in a feeble attempt to stop me from doing any more damage. "She's… N-not yours… and n-never will be… Now that she knows…"

I ripped my fist out of his stomach, forcing him to cough up dark blood as I gripped his shoulder. Keeping him pinned by the neck as I slowly crushed his collarbone into dust. I stopped long enough for his screams to die down and leaned in reeeeeal close. I spoke coldly, knowing this would break him. "She always knew."

I laughed with pure, malicious, hatred as I watched his mind shatter. Watched the agony seep into his very soul. Watched as he howled with a pain far worse, much deeper than any physical damage I can inflict upon him… but that won't stop me from trying. I took my time. I ripped off every finger that he dared to touch her with. I dislocated every joint and snapped every bone in his body, relishing his screams as they carried well into the night. When his screams ceased to fill me with satisfaction, I ended his life by ripping his head from his shoulders. His body collapsed to the floor with dead weight followed closely by a bouncing head. I watched it roll until it came to a halt, breathing the rage and the madness out of my undead lungs.

"David?..."

I blinked. Confused by the quiet voice that called my name. Slowly, I turned to see Elizabeth as white as a sheet. Leaning against the wall as though her legs no longer had the strength to hold her.

… "What have you done?" …


	22. … Without a Paddle.

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

My eyes darted between the rather psychotic looking David, and the mangled bloodied mess that used to be my best friend. I couldn't believe what I just saw. Hearing Jimmy scream like that made me come out of my hiding spot… and right now I really wished I hadn't… I really wish I hadn't seen David's darkest side. His cruelty at its finest… I really wished Jimmy never knew me for he'd be alive if he hadn't. I really wish I wasn't so messed up like I am now… I'm so confused. A part of me, the part that had recently been fuelled and nurtured by my vampiric friends, loved what I saw… while the rest of me was horrified at both David and myself.

What's really stupid, if not slightly disturbing, was had this been anyone else… Other than David, Dwayne, Marko or Paul… I wouldn't have a problem with it. And I fucking hated myself for that. It would seem that I had become a monster… For years I've fought this and now it would seem that I have reached a crossroad in my life… and I had no idea with what to do… how to handle this… and no one to turn to.

David seemed to be a little if not very confused so I asked him again. "What have you done?" My voice was so damn small, portraying how week I felt right now.

He blinked then took a step towards me. I took one back, needing the distance right now. He frowned and looked rather pissed off. "What's the matter Elizabeth? Don't like what you see?"

'Is he mocking me right now!?' His tone certainly suggested that.

I ground my teeth and barked, pointing at my friend's corpse "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?" My eyes rested on Jimmy briefly before locking onto David again.

He stormed up to me, not giving me any time to back up and grabbed my arm. He looked fucking insane. The look in his eyes were not the wild madness that I loved, it was pure wrath. "Pissed that I killed your lover!? Did you fuck him!? IS THAT WHAT YOU DID!?" His voice grew louder and darker as he spoke, sending a chill down my spine.

I was beyond pissed off that he would think so lowly of me… That I'd betray him like that. I fought to get out of his grip but I was so very tired. "What the fuck are you talking about!?"

He hissed, sounding more like an animal than a man. "Do you think I don't know? Your scent was all over him!" He tightened his grip. Any tighter he will break my arm. "I am not blind!"

I yelled back, consumed with rage. "YES YOU ARE! You're blind with rage, jealousy and FEAR!"

He shoved me into the wall. I crumbled down to the ground as my whole body surged with pain. If he didn't watch it he was gonna trigger my psycho side and that was gonna be bad for everyone. He was literally pulsing with rage as he growled. "I fear nothing!"

Not wanting to take any chances, I palmed my knife. Staring coldly into his eyes as I spoke. "You've been afraid of me leaving since the first time we met. That I'd hurt you like Star did… but instead of trusting me to stand by you on my own volition… you killed what you perceived to be a threat to our relationship." I stood to my feet in my anger. "You're nothing but a fucking coward!"

He grabbed my throat and pinned me against the wall, squeezing tightly. "Say that again." He seethed coldly.

I struggled to get the breath to say anything and yelled "COWARD!" I kicked him in the balls with all the strength I could muster. He grunted and let go long enough for me to get away from the wall. I was smart and kept my back to the exit, not letting myself go towards the dead end… towards Jimmy.

David recovered quickly and stalked after me. I was walking backwards, never taking my eyes off him. "I'm the coward?" He asked me darkly. "You're the one that's too afraid to accept what you are." He pointed at me accusingly. "You're nothing but a scared wretch of a girl who's afraid of their own fucking shadow."

I spat back without missing a beat. "And you're nothing but a possessive bastard! Is this what I can expect from you!? Constantly watching over my shoulder to make sure I haven't upset you (granted fighting is fun, I just don't wanna fight him!)!? To never have any friends (not that I make them easily anyway) because you think I'll fuck them!? THAT'S ALL JIMMY WAS! HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!"

David snapped "Bullshit! I've had enough of your lies!"

"My lies!?" I snapped back. "Have you been fucking with my head David!? Have you been manipulating me from the start!? WAS THIS EVER REAL OR AM I JUST YOUR LATEST TOY!?"

"No-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING LIE TO ME!"

"I'M NOT LYING!" He made a move to grab me. "JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"

I jumped back and hit him with the blunt end of my knife across his jaw. "No! No more!"

He held his jaw for a second as something dark flashed in his eyes again. "…. Go on. Run away. That's what you do isn't it? Run? Well piss off then! I don't need someone who can't even protect their own watching my back." He took a step closer and looked fucking evil. "You should've held onto Marven tighter."

'Did he just…? … He did…'

Something snapped inside my mind. How dare he use Marven like that… But trust David to know exactly where to hit me. The ice crept into my veins once more and before I could stop myself, my knife flicked open and I slashed at his chest. He jumped back as I screamed with pure hatred. I lunged at him, making it look like I was gonna slash at his leg but suddenly span and slashed his face. He hissed as he kicked my back, making me stumble forward before I could turn around.

David's P.O.V.

'I trusted her… How could she do this to me? To us? How could she betray me like this? Running to Jimmy…'

My thoughts were as jumbled as they could get but what's worse is that she looks positively insane and is trying very hard to kill me right now… I guess the truth hurts… I was so mad I was ready to kill her too… Trust her to know exactly where to hit me. Bringing up Star like that. Accusing me, ME, of cowardice. The nerve of the girl… Despite looking so ill she was surprisingly fast and managed to nick my chest as well as my cheek. I kicked her lightly to try and give myself a second to process everything…

'Did I really want to kill her? Damn she looks so hot when she's mad...'

She bounced back quickly and lunged at me with a fire in her eyes. I ducked low and tapped her chest with my forearm, deliberately using her old injury against her. She yelped and crashed onto her knees. Elizabeth got back onto her feet and adjusted the grip on her knife. We began to circle each other, watching closely for an opening or a weakness. At this moment, it would be difficult to tell which of us was the predator and which one was prey. For some twisted reason I was really enjoying this.

I taunted her again, loving the wild wrath that burned in her eyes. "C'mon Elizabeth. Is that all you got?"

She hacked at me again but I struck her wrist, forcing her hand to go limp and drop her knife. She literally growled at me and used her good hand crush my nose against my face. This girl is strong. Before I could even comprehend what I was doing I had back handed her in retaliation for my bloodied nose. I used far too much (or maybe not enough) force for she slammed into the ground hard. Unlike her mother, she didn't scream or panic. In fact, she barely reacted to the pain at all… merely shook as her nerves forced her brain to acknowledge the damage she had received. She looked me in the eye and spat her blood onto the ground. If looks could kill right now… I'd be a dead man.

She panted for a while as her eyes seemed to become clear once more. It would seem that a good smack to the head will dismiss her madness, albeit briefly. She spoke in an exhausted tone. "Jimmy… was the good Samaritan that saved my life when I was just a kid…"

I blinked, thrown completely off with this new piece of information. "… He… Saved your life?" I frowned, not liking where this was going.

"Yeah… He looked out for me when I was on the street for ten years too. We watched each other's backs… We were a team. Family. He was the brother I lost… Despite being older than me." She stared at the ground then looked at me with bitterness in her eyes.

I looked over my shoulder at the mangled corpse and repeated. "Your brother…" Before looking back to her. I could feel my own anger slowly dissipate… this is not good…

Her voice carried a spike of anger but it was mostly grief. "You just killed my brother you arsehole!" She threw damp newspaper at me but it missed. The dryer pages floated back to the ground where the wet ones scraped past my foot. "And spat on the memory of the one I lost!"

There was far more anger in her words with her last statement and I found myself taking a step back. 'Why did I even say that to her?' I took a breath and raised my hands slightly. "Elizabeth I…"

"Save it!" She pulled herself back to her knees and hunched over holding her ribs. "I don't wanna hear it."

I moved to help her stand up but she batted my hands away. "But.."

"NO!" She gave me a glare that the Devil himself would shy from as she pulled herself to her feet. She turned and started walking away. "The frog brothers know about you David. Look after yourself."

'No this can't be goodbye!' I went after her. "Elizabeth wait!" I almost had her arm again.

She spun around and punched my chest… It was a weak hit… she had nothing left. "Do you know why I run?" She spat venomously.

I didn't know what to say… for some reason I was completely on the defensive. "You're… running from the pain?" I asked, hoping it was the right answer.

"No David." She shook her head and spoke through her teeth. "I run so I DON'T kill the people I care about!" She turned on her heel again headed for the street.

She ran… I stood there like an idiot and watched her run away…

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

This hurts. It hurts so much. I thought I knew what pain was but this… This has shown me how naïve I really was. I tried to use the pain from my ribs and exhausted limbs to cancel out what I'm feeling in my chest… my heart… but no physical pain was even registering right now. I just knew I had to run. Get as far away from David as I could. For both our sakes. Before we could kill each other. How could he say those things to me? How could he believe that I'd cheat on him? How could he be so damn cruel?

"Your eyes can be so cruel… Just as I have been so cruel…"

Stupid David Bowie lyrics… but they were true. It takes two to tango and I was just as vicious with him as he was with me. I tried to shake everything off as I ran, barging into people, pushing past others… I don't even know where I'm going… I'm just running. Running with nothing but the clothes on my back and the change in my pocket. Right back where I started from. Well... minus the guitar. I ran until it felt like my lungs were going to burst, then ran some more. I didn't stop until I couldn't breathe.

I hunched over and held my knees, staring at the asphalt of an ordinary road. I knew if I sat down I wasn't getting back up so I ignored the lactic acid in my legs, screaming for a reprieve. I sucked in the air and watched my sweat drip to the ground. Trying desperately to ignore the ache in my chest. It seemed to have become more painful as I increased the distance between David and I… not helping the situation at all.

"Elizabeth!"

I glanced over my shoulder to see David keeping a respectable distance from me. I groaned "Can't you take a hint!?" … He's persistent I'll give him that.

"No…" He smirked lightly as he took a few steps closer but there was still a considerable gap between us. "I don't like to lose. Anything …or anyone."

I couldn't help it. Despite everything that just happened, a tiny little smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. Warmth seeped into the ache that had been plaguing my chest, relieving it ever so slightly. Dwayne, Marko and Paul finally caught up to us, looking a mixture of angry and worried but kept their distance from both David and myself. Again I was of two minds on what to do. I wanted to go back and work things out… but I was just so damn mad over what happened to Jimmy. Maybe… maybe if I had some time alone. Time to cool down…

'Can I forgive him?... Can he forgive me?' I frowned as I considered my options. "You broke your word David… You hurt me."

He looked wrecked. The guilt washed over his face and I almost caved right there and then. "You cut me pretty deep too." I looked at the ground in shame. He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I never said I was perfect."

A little smirk threatened to creep across my face. "Perfectly FUBAR maybe." We locked eyes as his expression shifted between surprise and that sly amusement that usually graced his features.

Suddenly, a van came screeching around the corner of the street. The white vehicle almost sideswiped me but I managed to stumble backwards as the last second. The door rolled open and four hands reached out to grab me. They gripped my jacket and yanked me into the speeding van as it took off down the street, narrowly missing oncoming traffic. The last thing I heard before the door slammed shut was David and the others yelling.

I wrestled with the four hands to get out of their grip. A pair hit my pressure points at the base of my neck, nearly knocking me out cold. I hit the floor of the van and looked up to see the blurry face of Zoe staring down sternly at me. Next to her was Alan with a similar expression. Holy items and strings of garlic hung from the roof of the van. Behind them sat a weapons rack ordained with wooden stakes, crossbows, a… Katana?... and a few other bits and pieces I couldn't quite make out.

Edgar's voice rang out from the driver's seat, half yelling at the passenger seat. "You didn't tell us that the entire pack had been resurrected!"

"Life is full of surprises Edgar" came an all too familiar voice.

A beautiful face peered around the passenger seat, revealing the Mortisha Adams look alike… the Mistress. She smiled cruelly to me… because we both knew the inside joke here. She has no intention of killing the boys. I lunged myself at her with a snarl "You fucking bitch!"

"Woah hold her!" Yelled Alan as he and Zoe struggled to keep me on the ground.

"SHE'S A WITCH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs but found I was just too damn weak to do much about this.

Zoe pinned me into some kind of MMA grappling technique, forcing my arms behind my back, making it hurt just that little bit more when she drove her knee into the back of my neck. "Tie her up Alan!"

"On it!" Alan grabbed some rope from the weapons rack and tied it tightly around my wrists. He then proceeded to tie my ankles together, preventing me from kicking anyone once I was able to move again.

"Let me go! She's a fucking witch! She's using you!" I tried to reason with them.

The Mistress just smiled at me. Enjoying this. "She really is crazy huh?"

"Tell me about it." Added Edgar before yelling. "Can you shut her up already!?" over his shoulder.

A bandanna was half shoved into my mouth while the rest was tied around my head. I could only get a barely audible "fuck you!" to escape my gagged mouth.

I laid helplessly on my side, bouncing with every bump in the road. Trying to keep my mind from shutting down with fatigue… Fighting with David really took its toll on me... Though it was kinda fun. 'ugh seriously girl! Go see a shrink!' After a while I felt the road change. It was no longer relatively smooth, but rough and uneven. We had left Santa Carla and were now on the open road… Maybe even the old highway.

Something slammed into the side of the van, making it swerve dangerously to the right on impact. Edgar spat "The fuck was that?" as he corrected the swerve.

Two more thuds could be heard on the roof while a third came from the front of the van. I lifted my head to see probably one of the coolest things EVER! A vampiric David was squatting on the bonnet, his hair and coat whipping about with the wind. He stared coldly at Edgar then narrowed his eyes at the Mistress, both in shock from his sudden appearance. He briefly locked eyes with me and become completely enraged. He threw his fist back and punched it through the windshield.

This snapped Edgar out of his shocked state and violently swerved the van, trying to shake David off. David had dug his taloned hand into the dashboard and held on for the ride. The roof began to creak and groan as more taloned fists dug through the metal and fiberglass. It was being torn open like a tin of sardines!

"I told you we should've stayed in the busy streets!" Yelled Alan as he grabbed a water gun… of all things… from the rack.

"Just get them off us!" Yelled Edgar as he continued to swerve the van.

Zoe grabbed what looked like an industrial torch with a blue lens as well as a modified gun. She ducked just in time to avoid getting swiped by a monstrous hand. I immediately recognised the thirty something leather bracelets that belonged to Paul and almost yelled with relief. The roof had been completely torn off now, making the wind whip everyone's hair into their faces. I could see Dwayne, Paul and Marko hovering above us, ready to storm the place in their vampiric forms.

Alan fired his water gun at the boys, scalding Marko's exposed stomach, forcing him to retreat as he yelled in pain. It must've been Holy water. Paul and Dwayne managed to dodge it and almost grabbed hold of me. Zoe activated her torch and fried Paul with ultra violet radiation… burning him like sunlight would… He had burst into a wall of flames!... She fired her modified gun at Dwayne at the same time. He raised his forearm at the last second to block WOODEN stake like bullets. He grabbed Paul's screaming crispy body and jumped out before the hunters could do any more damage.

Meanwhile, David had regained his balance on the bonnet of the van. He ripped his hand away from the dashboard, taking the windshield with him, tossing it beside him, smashing it on the road. He roared as he moved to slash Edgar's throat but was shot in the face by the Mistress. The force of the bullet knocked him back but he managed to grabbed the dashboard so he wouldn't fall off. He pulled himself back up again and spat the ordinary bullet out of his regenerating mouth.

She kept firing until her Beretta ran out of bullets. All that did was piss him off… and it bought her the time she needed to survive. Zoe emerged from the back of the van with her UV lamp and fried David with its deadly light. He howled in pain, adding to the tears I was already shedding for the others but he wouldn't let go. I did the only thing I could do. I rolled into Zoe, making her fall backwards, landing on top of me.

Unfortunately, the damage was done. David's clawed hand scrapped along the dash, then the bonnet until he fell under the van… It bumped violently as the front left and rear tires ran over his burning body. I felt sick. I thought I was gonna die from grief alone. They shouldn't have gotten hurt for me. I didn't deserve their friendship or loyalty. They shouldn't die for me… HE shouldn't die for me… Not after saying those horrible things to him.

Suddenly, I felt like my whole body was on fire!

I screamed and rolled about from under Zoe, trying to extinguish the invisible flame. She got off me and pinned me to the ground as Alan brought his boot down onto my face. Making the world turn black once more…

David's P.O.V.

I came to spread Eagled on the old neglected road. The stars shone above me in mockery of my situation. How dare they shine so brightly when my world was black!? The pain had subsided or perhaps I had pushed it to the back of my mind. Hard to tell sometimes. The flip between normalcy and psychosis can be a subtle one. Slowly, I pulled myself into a sitting position and growled as my bones shifted back into their appropriate places. With a grunt I pushed myself to my feet and glanced down to see my ashen body.

My flesh and my bones were already regenerating. I started walking in the same direction of Dwayne, Marko, and Paul's life force. Giving my coat a single solid flick to dismiss the accumulating cloud of decaying flesh. I could feel that my skin and hair had returned to normal and ran my hand through my hair once more, enjoying the feel of the smooth leather against my raw skin. I guess being the head vampire has its perks.

I could see my brothers resting on the side of the road. Marko was sitting on a boulder surrounded by tumble weed, examining his stomach. Paul was lying flat on the ground, severely burned over 60% of his body. His clothes had been mostly burned away but his belt buckle had melted into his waist… painful. He was also completely bald and his skin was a mixture of black and red. Dwayne was squatting right beside him, plucking the mini stakes out of his own arm.

When I saw how bad the damage was I immediately ran over to Paul and knelt down beside him. My voice was laced with concern. "Paul… can you hear me?"

His eyes flicked open and immediately locked onto mine. "Hey man… That kinda backfired huh?"

I grimaced as I felt the weight or responsibility crush my shoulders. "Yeah... again."

"Not your fault man." He offered with a weak smile. "Hey... Do I look like fried chicken?" He tried to laugh but ended up coughing instead.

"Don't laugh you moron." I removed my gloves and slashed my wrist open, holding it against his lips.

Paul's eyes lit up with a mixture of amusement, hunger and pain as he latched onto my wrist, drinking the crimson substance deeply. Marko had moved from his perch and was now squatting close to Paul's head. "Is he gonna be ok?" He then grabbed Paul's hand.

I spoke with confidence "He's gonna be just fine." And smiled when I saw Paul squeeze Marko's hand. I glanced at Marko's red, acid like burn. Then at Dwayne's arm. "Are you guys ok?"

"We'll live" Answered Dwayne calmly.

Paul snickered as he continued to feed, regenerating slowly with every gulp he took. 'Live… good one.'

That made the three of us smile. At least he still had his sense of humour. I watched all of them closely as I spoke with authority. "I want all of you to go back to town and feed."

"What about you?" Asked Marko. His entire face twisted into a frown which was just as disturbing as that grin of his.

I grimaced as Paul bit into my wrist, trying to get more of my blood. "I'm going to track them down before we lose their trail completely."

Paul finally let go of my wrist, taking just enough to regenerate but he was still incredibly weak. "I got dibs on the she-wolf." I applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Get in line dude" teased Dwayne. Paul flipped him the bird in response.

"And that Alan twerp is mine." Snarled Marko. It was rare to see his temper flare.

I nod in approval. "The Mistress is mine. Edgar is free game."

Feeling that Paul was out of danger and that we had a vague plan of action, I moved to stand up… probably a little too quickly. I staggered slightly and was caught by Dwayne around my arm. "Woah David. You don't look so good brother."

I shoved him off me "I'm fine!" and almost fall over again.

"No you're not. You need to feed." He stated matter of factly as I shot him the glare to end all glares.

Marko had moved to help Paul to his feet then ducked under his arm to hold him steady. "He's right David. You're no good to her if you can hardly stand."

I growled in complete frustration. "If we let them get away we may never find her… I can't sense where she is… I got us into this mess so I will get us out!"

"What are you going to do when… IF you catch up to them? Collapse on them? You don't know how many of are waiting for us wherever they're going." Countered Dwayne.

I snapped at him harshly. "I'll tear them limb from limb, that's what I'll do!"

He shook his head, completely unfazed with my wrath. "David. What did you tell me back in Saipan?"

I blinked, completely taken back by the reminder of the past. "… Your… your greatest weapon is your mind. The day you lose that is the day you die." At that time… Dwayne did not know why our squad only went out at night… How things change...

"Right." He nods before continuing. "So use yours… It's your greatest weapon. Always has been."

I sighed in defeat. Nodding in agreement. "Alright… fine… We all feed then begin a grid by grid search of this entire area. We stay out until we find Elizabeth or until dawn. Understood?" I left no room for argument.

"Yeah of course man." Agreed Paul.

"That goes without saying." Added Marko.

Dwayne merely nods. He had said all he intended to say.

We slowly headed back to town, too exhausted to move as quickly as I wanted to. Flying above the unsuspecting humans whom were completely oblivious to the threat looming above them. Many would die tonight. I hoped… maybe even prayed that Elizabeth would be ok. That we'd find her tonight and find her soon. Who knows what those sick, twisted bastards were doing to her.

'Don't die on me Elizabeth… please…'


	23. To forgive is divine but…

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

My arms are being held behind my back. Something is cutting into my wrists… It's not sharp enough to be metal… feels more like a friction bite so it must be rope. It also feels like I'm sitting down… most likely bound to a chair. I kept my eyes closed and listened to my surroundings. It was strangely quiet. I could not hear the sounds of any insects, people, cars, or the hum of anything electrical. But there are a few interesting smells. I can smell chalk, bleach, metal, some kind of herb, moisture, sanitising agents, and a few other scents I could not identify. If I had to guess, I'd say I was in a basement, larder or coroner's office.

'Why do I feel like I'm suddenly in a Saw movie?'

As if right on que the tell-tale hum of the florescent lights flicked on above my head. Not wanting to give away that I was conscious I kept my eyes shut and my body relaxed. Three sets of footsteps entered the area, just a tad above my head. They descended a small set of stairs and walked towards me. There was an odd sound of static then a beep.

The Mistress' voice spoke directly in front of me. "Report."

"Checkpoint one checking in. All is quiet here." Said a calm male voice.

"Checkpoint two checking in." Piped up a female voice.

"Checkpoint three checking in." Added a gruff male voice.

"Nothing to report ma'am. Checkpoint four checking in." Claimed a smooth male voice.

"Be on your guard. They shouldn't find this place but if they do, I want them captured not killed. Is that understood?" Commanded the Mistress in a superior voice.

There was a collective "Yes ma'am" before the radio went silent once more.

'At least four sentries outside plus three targets in here with me…'

Edgar's voice broke my train of thought, coming slightly from my left. "I still don't understand why you want to capture them."

The mistress sighed with annoyance before speaking. "Edgar. Would you like to just slay these vampires only to have to deal with them again later or would you like them to be put down for good this time?"

"For good of course!" Snapped Edgar.

"Then we need to capture them." Stated the mistress calmly.

"But how are you going to make sure they stay dead this time?" queried Alan slightly to my right.

"I have my ways. Now wake her up so we can interrogate her. As I'm sure you both know… The best time to strike is during the day so we need to know where they sleep." The mistress moved a few paces away and started to move a few objects around on what I guessed to be a table or a workbench.

"No duh." Grumbled Edgar as he took a few steps towards me. He shook my shoulder as he spoke "Hey! Wake up!"

'It's show time' I mused to myself and pretended to still be unconscious.

"I'll get the smelling salts." Offered Alan.

"Nah." Dismissed Edgar, then I felt his open palm strike my cheek.

I wasn't expecting that so an accidental "GAH!" escaped my lips as my head followed through to my right. "What the hell man!?" I yelled at Edgar, eyes open and glaring at my enemy.

"There we go. Told ya we didn't need the salts." Edgar almost smiled at his brother as he took a step back.

I glanced around and saw something very strange. All along the walls were odd, ghostly like runes. I couldn't read them but I got the sense that they were some kind of spell. When I blinked they disappeared. 'Huh… weird… Never seen anything like that before…'

Alan came into my line of sight and squat down so we were face to face. I stole a quick glance to see the Mistress had her back to us but I couldn't see what she was doing. I locked eyes with Alan and he offered a nod in greeting. "Elizabeth."

"Alan." I nod back, testing the rope binding my wrists. Now that I could move about openly I tried to deliver a kick to Alan but found my ankles had been bound to the legs of this chair.

'Well that's not good… I think I might actually be in trouble this time…. Shit…'

"Comfortable?" He asked rather sternly.

"Naturally." I replied in a bored voice.

He sighed and looked troubled for a moment. That threw me off slightly. "Listen… we're gonna ask you nicely. If you don't answer us… We're gonna have to ask you roughly. Do you understand?"

I pretend to think about it. "Hmm… maybe. What's the question?"

"Where do they sleep?"

"They who?" I asked innocently.

Edgar snapped. "Don't play dumb with us girl! You know very well who we're talking about." He was standing slightly to the side with his arms folded.

"Who? Santa Clause and his reindeer?" I snickered to myself.

Alan sighed, his eyes almost pleading with me as he spoke. "Your boyfriend and his crew. Where do they sleep?"

"Where they live" I answered with a shrug, like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"And where do they live?" Asked Alan, his eyes lit up slightly with… hope?

"Where they sleep." I state with a grin.

Alan sighed and stared at the ground. He nods once before standing and taking a step back. He mumbled "You brought this on yourself…"

I tilted my head at the strangely sympathetic hunter as Edgar stepped into my line of sight. He brought his fist back and punched me right on the nose, hard enough to make it bleed but not hard enough to break it. My head moved back with the hit but not by much. "Ooof!"

"How do we find them!?" Demanded Edgar.

I looked at him with a smirk. "Can you run that by me again?"

Edgar slammed his fist into my jaw, making me bite my cheek on impact. "Where. Do. They. Sleep!?"

I laughed as blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. "They sleep on the dark side of the moon."

The next punch landed right on my eye, causing a white flash of light to cross my sight. "You think you're funny? Huh!?" Growled Edgar, obviously annoyed with my attitude.

Alan growled as he grabbed the collar for my jacket, forcing me look at him. "You're only making it worse for yourself. Tell us where they are!"

I grinned "Timbuctoo!" and started laughing.

Alan hit me this time, not quite as hard as Edgar, across my jaw then again on my cheek. I could feel the wounds were beginning to swell already as my own blood pooled into my mouth but I kept laughing. "You call that a punch? My mum hits harder than that!"

This time Edgar punched me across the nose with knuckle dusters…. I dunno when he put them on but the impact was enough to break my nose. 'Ok… That hurt…' I did not move my head back immediately as my brain processed the damage. Slowly. I turned my head back and growled at Edgar. "Now that's more like it!"

As I stared at Edgar, Alan delivered a punch to my stomach, winding me. I lost all of my breath and struggled to get it back in as he grabbed my hair and forced my head back up. "Why are you protecting them!?"

I spat my own blood in his face and growled "Go fuck your brother! C'mon! Is that all you got!?"

He stepped back and wiped my blood off his face in disgust. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

I just laughed again as Edgar punched me across the jaw.

Another flash of white danced across my eyes as Edgar's fist made contact with my face. My mind had long since shut out the pain but I could still feel the damage being done to my face. The squelching sound of bruised, bloodied flesh being shifted about by knuckles was the only sense I could not ignore… that and the coppery smell of my own blood. Another spurt had fled my mouth on impact but I forced my lips to curl into a twisted smile. I laughed as I made eye contact with a sweaty, confused Edgar, making him grimace at me before examining his hand.

He turned to his brother and scowled as he spoke. "There is something wrong with this girl."

"Very wrong…" Alan agreed as he glanced at me. "We should call her friend… he might help us understand what going on in her head."

"Doubt it." Retorted Edgar as he fished out a mobile from his back pocket.

'They don't know…' I mused to myself. Not that Jimmy would be able to help them. He never saw any of this. Never saw this side of me.

Edgar speed dialled a number and held it to his ear. I watched my own blood trickle down his hand while he waited for Jimmy to pick up. After a while he hung up. "No answer."

I chuckled and shook my head. Alan saw this and squat down to my level. "What's so funny?"

"Oh plenty… but right now… you're using the wrong connection to reach Jimmy…" I rolled my neck, relieving some of the tension by cracking it.

"Wrong connection?" he asked, looking very confused.

The Mistress finally spoke up, glancing over her shoulder as she did. "She means he's dead and you'll need a spiritual connection to reach him. Isn't that right?" she asked condescendingly.

I laughed at the Frog brother's collective look of surprise. Edgar growled at the mistress "you knew!?"

"No." she stated before turning around, leaning against the workbench. "Just an educated guess." She stared at me, giving me a knowing look. Maybe she knew… maybe she didn't.

"well that's just great!" huffed Edgar. "Now what?!"

"Let me handle this. Why don't you and your bother take a break? Go check on Zoe?" Offered the witch.

The brothers exchanged a look then nod. Alan spoke up. "Fine. But call us if she causes trouble."

The Mistress waved her hand in a 'shoo' motion "I will. Send in Jordan and Sam on your way out."

The Frog brothers walked up the small set of stairs to leave the basement. Two Goth guys came in and stood either side of the Mistress. One had short slightly wavy hair and the other was very long. Hair, eyeliner, nail polish and clothes all black of course. I rolled my eyes at the pair before locking onto the witch. She turned her back to me and grabbed something from the workbench. She spun around and flicked a clear liquid across my face. On reflex I turned my head and shut my eyes… and that alone saved me from going blind.

The Liquid was bleach and it was burning the hell out of my skin, undoubtedly altering the colour of my hair too. It must have been concentrated because that freaken hurt. I growled as my skin reacted violently to the substance, thrashing in my restraints in anger. I kept my right eye shut to protect it and stared at her with my left. She was grinning impishly, making me hate her more than I hate my own mother. She stepped forward and grabbed my throat, making my eyes widen as I fought the flashback that threatened to resurface to the front of my mind.

I didn't know but my pupils had shrunk into the size of pinpricks. The Mistress' smile turned into a sadistic smirk. "Ah… So this is a trigger for you… You're not so impervious to damage after all." She laughed in my face.

In my anger I snapped "fuck you!" Giving away that she called it true.

"Awe you're not my type sweet thing." She cooed mockingly. Her hand travelled from my neck, towards my stomach. "You are a walking enigma. You have the sight of both worlds, you're stark raving mad, you have the affections of a vampire… yet you have no will to command them."

"Get your sticking hand off me!" I yelled as I thrashed about. The two Goths that walked in earlier grabbed me and forced me to sit still. "The fuck you talking about?"

She laughed again as she stared at her hand. She sounded a little distracted as she spoke, concentrating on something other than the conversation. "T'was by your hand they were resurrected. They are bound to you. You could invoke the right to command yet you do not…"

'David you are one cleaver, sneaky, bastard. So that's what you meant when you said for better or worse we're stuck with you.' I couldn't help but smile a little. I knew he was cunning… smarter than most… but quickly ditched the smile when the Mistress looked up in surprise.

Her hand was pressed against my lower abdomen. "My my… you have been a busy little bee." She grinned as she dug her nails into my exposed skin. A burning sensation began to generate in my womb. "Tell me where they sleep or I'll kill your unborn child."

I blinked. I couldn't think. Couldn't focus. My mouth hung open as I subconsciously tried to wriggle away from her hand. "Wha? What?" 'I'm pregnant!? I can't be pregnant!'

The burning sensation intensified, making me grimace. "Tell me where they sleep!"

I yelled out in a combination of shock and pain. "GO TO HELL!"

The pain intensified again, making my womb feel like it was on fire. I screamed out in pain and horror.

David's P.O.V

We had been searching along the old dirt road again, picking up where we left off. It still perplexed all of us that I could not sense where she was. There was no doubt in my mind that my sight was being blocked by some form of magic… but until I can find the source there was nothing I could do about it. We all flew while we searched, taking the high ground, getting a better view of the area than we ever could on the ground. Silence had fallen amongst us. Everyone was worried about Elizabeth…

'If anything happens to her… It'll be my fault… I will never forgive myself.' And if anyone can hold a grudge… it's me. I hurt her. Made her run. And I'll have to live with that.

Suddenly, I felt like I had been hit by a freaken freight train! I gripped my head and yelled as I plummeted to the ground. Dwayne and Paul made a move to catch me but missed. I didn't even feel the impact, just saw the dust rise up around me before my eyes slammed shut. My head felt like it was being ripped apart and my heart was being torn from my chest. When I opened my eyes I saw a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. I could hear Elizabeth screaming and that alone cut me up inside.

"You bastards! Leave her alone!" My words fall on deaf ears but then I heard something impossible.

"Daddddy!" A tiny voice echoed inside my mind, begging for help.

'That's not…. Possible…'

I suddenly shot forward, gasping for unnecessary breath. Paul, Dwayne and Marko had all crowded around me, looking very freaked out. Paul yelled first "Oh shit David! Are you ok? What the hell happened!?"

I couldn't get my head on straight if I tried and looked around feverishly, trying to see if I could spot that fucking warehouse. Dwayne snapped his fingers in front of my eyes, pissing me off and making me focus on him. "Dave, you look seriously freaked out man! What happened?!"

I finally managed to get my mouth to function "No time! We gotta move! NOW!"

"Ok but where?" Asked Marko in an urgent tone that almost matched my own.

I got to my feet and stumbled a for a bit before taking off, heading West. "This way! Move your asses!" I could feel them now… don't ask me how but I can.

…

We flew faster than the eye could follow until we reached a seemingly clear patch in the deserted highway. Only sand, tumble weed and the occasional boulder could be seen, further confusing the boys and pissing me off more. I touched down to the ground and stared dead ahead as the guys landed behind me. I could see the imperfections of light bending in on itself. A rookie mistake in illusion magic but unless you have an eye for this sort of thing, it is easy to miss.

Marko tried to follow my line of sight then scratched his head. "There's nothing here…"

"Yes there is…" Mused Dwayne. His senses had always been sharp.

I shifted into my vampiric form and raised my hand towards the hidden structure. "Look again."

I waved my hand in a fluid motion and concentrated on the signature of the spell caster. The Mistress. Her bindings were quite weak and I was able to crush her pathetic ruins. It was rather insulting and embarrassing that I could not see this before. As soon as I dispelled the illusion runes, the warehouse shifted back into the normal field of vision, shimmering like a mirage before solidifying in its proper place. Dwayne, Paul and Marko shifted into their vampiric forms and growled lowly with rage, ready for slaughter. The sentries guarding this placed milled about slowly, completely unaware that we were here.

I grinned in anticipation before snarling with pure hatred. "Take no prisoners. Kill them all!"

The four sentries didn't stand a chance against four pissed off vampires. Their throats had been ripped out, creating a bloodied mess where they once stood. Marko and Paul threw themselves through the derelict windows while Dwayne and I kicked in the front door. I could not shake the sense of urgency so I wasted no time in dealing with the Goth kids inside. The boys took care of that. Dwayne ripped into one kid with Paul suddenly dropped down from the roof and snatched another, taking him back into the rafters to rip him apart. A young woman jumped out with an assault rifle from behind a storage crate but was quickly tackled by Marko as I ran past. She screamed loudly until she was silenced with the tearing of flesh. I ripped an old door off its hinges, too enraged to be subtle about anything and tossed it behind me as I ran inside another room.

I was immediately greeted with a hail of wooden bullets from Alan's modified gun. Edgar held a Katana in his hand while the She-Wolf took aim with her UV lamp. I managed to guard my chest from the mini stakes and roared at the hunters. My shadow expanded until it engulfed the entire room in darkness. I used my new found powers to smash every light source in this room and merged with the darkness itself. Coming back from the dead as a head vampire… came with some very interesting perks.

Zoe had fired up her light to the doorway but I had long since moved. "Oh shit… I can't see him anywhere!" and that must've really scared her for her heart was pounding so fast. So much for the legendary werewolf night vision.

"Just stay together" Reassured Edgar all too quickly.

'Ah… so she's your squeeze.'

I remerged from the shadows directly behind Zoe and grabbed her, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other wrapped around her chest. I wrenched her jaw to the side, exposing her neck to my fangs. She screamed right on que, dropping her weapon from shock, gripping my wrist that was currently around her neck. The Frog brothers yelled as they spun around, pulling out ordinary flashlights and shined them right at us. Zoe tried to get out of my grip but I tightened my hold on her and leaned closer to her neck. She whimpered when I breathed on her exposed flesh and stopped squirming.

Edgar growled out "Let her go you son of a bitch!" Which made me laugh.

"Now why would I want to do that?" I mocked him before grazing my fangs against her jugular.

"NO! You hurt her I swear to God!" Edgar took a step forward, sword ready to attack.

"Are you threatening me Edgar? Not smart." I slowly bit into her throat but it was not deep enough to feed, only to make her bleed a little. Zoe whimpered again but didn't dare to move.

"What do you want!?" Edger yelled desperately.

I released Zoe's throat and snarled "Elizabeth. Where is she!?"

"What makes you think we'll tell you!?" Snarled Alan, finally speaking up at last.

"If you don't or stall for much longer… I'm gonna rip your pretty girlfriends face off and shove it down your throat." I stated coldly.

"No Edgar don't!" Zoe pleased before I crushed her windpipe, making her gasp.

Edgar looked to his brother before choking out "basement. She's in the basement. Second door on your left."

"Thanks." I smiled cruelly. "Now drop your weapons."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Snapped Alan.

"I swear I will not harm her if you drop your weapons." I assured them coldly.

Edgar looked like he was about to lose his mind. He dropped his sword and motioned for his brother to do the same with his gun. "Just do it man…"

Alan did as his brother said. "Good. Boys?"

Edgar and Alan were hit on the back of their heads by Dwayne and Marko. Zoe couldn't warn them thanks to the fact their flashlights were blinding us. I only knew they were there because of our link. She screamed again before I threw her face into the side of a workbench, knocking her out cold. Dwayne emerged from the main area with a roll of duct tape and got to work with tying them up. We were gonna have our fun with them later.

Right now I aiming to kick this damn door down and get my girlfriend back.

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

The pain was excruciating… but not in the normal sense of physical damage. It was the knowledge of having to make a choice. Protect David and the others, or save our unborn child? It was not a decision I could make. The weight of the consequences for either choice was too heavy for me to bare. I knew one thing though. I'd rather die than give this bitch what she wants. I hurt David… I was angry at the time but not no more. I just hoped he could forgive me… My baby… Marven… I've let down so many people…

I threw my head back and looked like I couldn't take anymore. I cried hysterically. "NO MORE! NO MORE!"

The Mistress grinned and released her hold of my womb. I slumped forward, hanging my head low, whimpering in pain. "Tell me where to find them during the day. Tell me where they sleep." She cooed sadistically.

I sniffled as tears streamed down my face and mumbled. "They… they live…" Then said the rest too quietly for anyone to hear me.

The mistress leaned closer, tilting her ear towards me as she spoke condescendingly. "What was that sweetie? I didn't quite catch that."

I looked up between the strands of my bloodied hair. "In Hell!"

I lunged forward quickly and sank my teeth into her neck! She screamed as she tried to pull away from me and her Gothic goons tried to separate us but I would not let go. I snarled aggressively, sounding more like an animal than a human being. I bit as hard as I could and tore my face away, taking a chunk of that bitch's throat with me. The Mistress immediately grabbed her neck as it spurted blood between her fingers. I spat her flesh back into her face as she stumbled backwards, horrified by what I just did. I laughed cruelly as her blood seeped over my lips, making myself look quite feral before the Goths proceeded to beat the life out of my face.

The Mistress screamed "Kill the crazy bitch!" As she applied pressure to the wound. Her hand glowed slightly and the bleeding stopped. 'Damn'. She grabbed a piece of rope and threw it to one of her henchmen as the other continued to beat my face in. Within two shakes it was around my neck and the other end was thrown around a beam above my head. The henchmen worked together and pulled the rope, hoisting me off the ground, chair and all. As soon as I was high enough, gravity forced the chair to slip and fall, bouncing off the ground with a metallic 'bang.'

I coughed and choked, trying to stay calm and keep my throat tight, holding that last breath for as long as I could. I was trying to get my arms from behind my back past my legs but gravity worked against me and prevented me from bending as much as I needed to. I couldn't get my arms to rotate upwards either, they had been tied in such a way that made it impossible. I stared at the mistress with hate as I tried to kick her, use my weight to make the henchmen drop me but to no avail.

The Mistress grinned evilly at me. "What? Did you think I'd kill you quickly? I did have something better in mind but, you forced my hand." She laughed at me then stopped… suddenly looking terrified as she looked around, trying to find something. "Oh shit…"

I spat at her with a strangled growl as black spots began to cloud my vision. I could feel myself growing weaker as my life flashed before my eyes. The last thing my dying brain allowed me to see before the darkness consumed me… was David. Smiling that rare genuine smile.

'David…. I'm… Sorry….'


	24. But Vengeance is Mine.

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

I found myself face planted into the ground. With a grimace, I pushed myself onto my knees and looked around, only to find I was still in the danky old basement. The chair I had been bound to was behind me, laying on its side. The rope I was hung with dangled back and forth above my head. The entire area was dull, grey and devoid of people. Fog crawled along the floor and washed around my kneeling form, making me shudder with realization as to where I am. I'm back in the spirit world… and this time it looks like I'm here to stay. I glanced down to my chest to see it was just as lifeless as the rest of this place. There was no light this time. No rhythmic beat of my heart. Nothing. I wrapped my arms around my waist and fought the urge to sob. For the first time in my life, I had something to live for… and now I'm dead.

'Aint that a bitch?'

I didn't even want to think about the child that never had a chance within… it was too painful… too soon. I didn't want to become a wailing mess… even if that's all my body wanted to do. Tears streamed down my face despite my efforts but I forced myself to my feet all the same. With a growl, I wiped my tears away and started looking around for… well anything. I saw a box cutter balanced on the workbench, where the Mistress was working on something earlier and moved to grab it. I'd feel a little better with a knife in my hand but when I went to grab it, my hand past right through it. I gasped in shock then held myself tighter. I couldn't stop the sobs this time. I was so overwhelmed with sadness… loss… helplessness… I just couldn't help it.

"Don't do that." Whispered a familiar voice.

I spun around with a gasped, surprised to see my father, covered with streaks of black blood. "…Daddy?"

He came closer, revealing tired eyes and a grim expression. "If you allow yourself to be consumed by an emotion…" He motioned his head behind him. "You'll become like them. Bound to a place… haunting it."

I looked past him to see one of the dark ones that charged at us the last time I was here. "I thought they were escapees…"

John sighed and shifted his weight. "All spirits who wonder this plain are... One way or another"

I blinked, confused by his illusive answers. "What do you mean… Escape from where? Escape from what?"

"Judgement. The dark place. Some people just escape their reapers. Not ready to move on… even if they are meant for the bright place." He stared at the ground.

I ran up to him and hugged him, startling him and making him flinch. "I'm glad you're here…"

John relaxed and held me close, patting my back in a soothing manner. "I wish I could say the same pumpkin… though I am happy to see you..." He grimaced in pain.

I pulled my hand back to see ordinary blood then tugged his coat open. He had a deep slash from his back to his chest, exposing his ribcage. "You… You're hurt!"

"I'm fine." He assured me as he pushed me back, closing his coat to hide the wound. "I'm dead remember? The wound will heal eventually."

"What happened?" I asked in shock, staring him in the eye.

He smiled a mischievous smile. "Well… taking on a reaper is no walk in the park y'now?" He laughed a somewhat manic laugh which made his whole face light up with amusement.

I shook my head at my crazy father and looked absolutely confused. "Why?"

He stopped laughing and tapped the tip of my nose with a fond smile. "To give you and my grandkid more time."

"Huh?" He motioned for me to look down. A single pulse of light emerged from my chest along with an echo of a pulse from my womb. I looked up in shock. I couldn't believe it. "How!?"

John grinned like a lunatic and shook his head. "Do you know how hard it is, to kill a Ryder?"

I thought for a moment, recalling the article about 'The Hitcher'. "According to Jim Halsey… very hard."

"Ever wonder why?" He asked with an even larger grin.

David's P.O.V.

I booted the door open so hard it flew to the other side of the room. It had hit the railing for a short staircase along the way and shattered on impact, peppering the adjacent wall. I glanced down and I couldn't believe what I saw. Elizabeth. My Elizabeth had been lynched! She was being hung by… by… THOSE BASTARDS! I didn't even need to issue a command to the others, right now we moved with one mind. I leapt over the railing and charged towards Elizabeth. Paul and Marko flew into the two soon to be dead pricks, forcing them to let go of the rope. She fell with pure deadweight and never made a sound. I caught her before she could hit the ground and collapsed with her, landing on my knees. Dwayne dashed past all of us as the Mistress screamed out something in French. He slammed his fist into her jaw before she could usher a single word. The impact of his punch sent her flying into the bench. She bounced off and hit the ground.

Paul and Marko proceeded to tear the gothic gang members apart with a fury I hadn't seen in a while. They didn't even feed but they took their time all the same. Dwayne had duct taped the Mistresses mouth so she couldn't cast any spells. I could hear more tape being used and more flesh being torn to pieces but my eyes were fixated on Elizabeth. I had turned her over in my arms and quickly got that damn rope off her neck. She… She had been beaten so badly I hardly recognised her anymore. Her eyes had swollen shut, her skin an aggressive red, cut cheeks, a weird blond streak in her hair, she smelled of bleach and there was now a rope burn around her neck.

But that's not what horrified me the most.

… She was not breathing!

I shook her roughly as I yelled "Elizabeth! Elizabeth wake up!"

In a mild panic I wiped the blood away from her nose and mouth, trying to clear away anything that could be blocking her airways. I opened her mouth and turned her onto her side, pressing down on her stomach to try and convince her body to breath. Nothing. I turned her onto her back to give her CPR. I had no idea if that would work but since I breathe out of habit I figured I could trick her lungs into working again. It has to work. It has to! I pinched her nose and forced air into her lungs, then gave her five compressions on her chest, careful not to push too hard and accidently break her ribs. The air moved… but not on its own.

"You gotta breathe baby c'mon!"

I tried again. Nothing. After repeating the actions three times with no results I panicked. "No… no no no… Elizabeth! NO!"

I pulled her into my arms and held her close, rocking her back and forth and buried my face into the crook of her neck. My body shook as I tried to supress the torrent of sorrow and rage… but it wouldn't stay in… not for her. I yelled all the air out of my undead lungs as I crumbled into her. Crushing her limp, lifeless body against mine. The boys were standing around us, all too shocked to say anything. Dwayne had the mistress beneath his foot, bound and writhing to get out of her restraints. He stomped on her ribs to make her shut up and lay still.

'I fucked up. I fucked up and now she's dead!... it's all my fault she's dead… she's-'

*….Thump…..*

My eyes widened and I froze, listening carefully. Hoping against hope that I wasn't just hearing what I wanted to hear. It felt like an eternity until I heard it again.

*….Thump…..*

'She's alive!'

I laid her down quickly and pulled my gloves off. "Paul! Hold her mouth open!"

Paul dropped down onto his knees with Marko right beside him. "Got it!" He held her mouth open as I bit into my wrist.

I held my wrist over her lips and watched the crimson substance pour into her mouth. Marko was biting his nails nervously as he spoke. "Will this work?"

"It has to!" I snapped at him but he didn't seem to care. Once full, Paul closed her mouth and tilted her head back. I massaged my blood down her throat, triggering her swallow reflex.

'I really wanted this to be her choice… not a life or death situation. Not like how it was with me… but I can't live without her… please work…'

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

I shuddered suddenly and fall forward, leaning into my father as I tried to catch my breath. He caught me and chuckled, directing my attention to my chest again. The light in both my chest and my womb began to pulse quickly, becoming stronger with each thump. John pushed me back and smiled warmly, squeezing my shoulders just a little, somehow making me feel safe. I smiled back wondering just what he did, to what I guessed to be my reaper, to buy me enough time to kick start my heart.

He glanced past my shoulder and scowled in the way only fathers can scowl. "Looks like your ride is here."

I blinked and looked behind me to see a silhouette. Not just any solid shadow… but David's. I knew it was his. Somehow I knew. I turned back to face my father and almost laughed at his expression. He looked like he wanted to kill David but since it was his shadow he really couldn't do that. "What?"

"I'd like to tear him a new one for hurting you but… I'll leave that in your capable hands." With that he gave me one final hug. "See you around pumpkin."

"Bye Dad…" I sighed, wishing he could come back with me.

I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist and began to pull me away from my father's embrace. I looked down to see David's arms dissolving, merging with my body, changing my pigment to mimic that of a shadow. Before I could even comprehend what I was seeing I was yanked roughly backwards, rushing past several sights and scenes I could not focus on… we were going too fast. All I saw was a blur of grey. My ears were assaulted with the rushing of air and a chorus of screams. It overlapped, growing louder by the second until I landed roughly on my hip, rolling to a stop.

Men rushed past me, dressed in an old military uniform. A mixture of a dark yellow, brown or a rough green, spattered with mud, dirt and blood. Their helmets looked to be of solid metal, flat with a cylindrical brim. They carried Lee-Enfield .303 rifle's in their hands or over their shoulders as they pushed past each other, all moving to line up against the wall of the narrow trench. A mortar exploded close to the edge of the trench, making all of the soldier's duck. One of them fall next to me, his arm passed right through me. His huge puppy dog eyes betrayed how terrified her was as he struggled to regain his senses. He couldn't have been older than 16 years old. An arm reached down, baring Sergeant stripes and helped the kid to his feet. He was slammed against the wall as another explosion threw dirt on top of the soldiers.

The Sergeant looked up to check on the kid and I couldn't believe who it was. "Are you alright kid?" A human David barked at the terrified boy.

"Y-yes sir!" He stammered.

David yanked the boy low, narrowly dodging some shrapnel. "Keep your fucking head down! The Huns will be on us any minute."

"Sergeant Sutherland! Prepare your men! We're going over the top!" Yelled another soldier further down the line.

David yelled back, no believing what he just heard. "What!?"

"We're going over the top!" Repeated the soldier before turning to address the men to his left.

"In the middle of an assault!? Is the Major crazy!?" David yelled back as explosions went off around us. "Fucking Major and his fucking bullshit. You heard the lieutenant! We're going over on his mark!" He yelled to his men.

"Sir?" asked the kid as he flinched in terror.

"Lock and load kid." David flipped his rifle from his shoulder and placed his foot on top of a sandbag, ready to leap at a moment's notice. He cocked his weapon and looed completely calm. The kid fumbled with his gun but eventually got it loaded. David glanced down and smirked. "What? You're not scared of dying are you?"

He laughed at the boy's expression of shock and horror. That cold laugh meant for sending chills up people's spine. The Lieutenant blew his whistle and everyone ran over the top into a hail of gunfire and explosions.

I'm yanked backwards again, making the world move into a blur of grey once more until I landed on my back. I couldn't see or hear anything but I could taste blood in my mouth. It was… not mine. Suddenly my lungs demanded air so I took one hell of a gasp and coughed up a storm. My throat felt like it had been crushed and my hand immediately flew to my neck, trying to pry off the rope that was choking me to death, not realising it was already gone. Someone grabbed my hands and held them tightly, bringing them back to my chest. I tried to yell out but no sound came and I was too weak to thrash about… but I sure as hell tried.

"Oh fuck! She lives!" yelled Paul suddenly followed by an excited cheer from Marko and Dwayne.

David's cool voice seemed to drift from everywhere and within, trying to calm me down. "Easy, easy. You're ok Elizabeth. You're going to be ok."

I could feel his hand gently cupping my face. A part of me just wanted to grab him and hold him close while another wanted to bat his hand away… I guess I was still mad about Jimmy. I grimaced as I tried to open my eyes and speak but again no sound came out of my mouth.

"Don't talk. You need to rest." Oh God… it should be a crime to have a voice as sly as his.

I wasn't really in a position to argue with the man and gave him a single nod. I did manage to crack one eye open but the light was so bright, it made everything blurry… that or the extreme amount of damage done to my face has totally screwed up my vision for now.

'Geez I hope that's not permanent…. Why am I notin a serious amount of pain right now? Why do I feel kinda high?'

David's P.O.V.

I can't tell if I'm coming or going right now but that doesn't matter. She's alive, she's safe… and I can deal with whatever comes next. I can tell she's still mad at me and she has every right to be but now is most definatally not the time to dwell on that. I looked up to see the boys with an expression of both relief and concern. I know I've been acting weird lately and I will need to talk to them about what's going on… soon.

My voice was a little quieter than usual as I spoke. "Paul… stay with her."

"Yeah, of course." Paul nods and gave me a sympathetic look as he knelt down next to Elizabeth. Odd but whatever.

I stood to my feet and stared right at the Mistress while I thought about what to do with her and the hunters in the next room. Marko spoke up quietly. "So… what now David?"

I smirked as a cruel idea came to mind, making the boys smile when I sent them the mental image of the finished product. "Marko, why don't you invite our guests to join the party? Dwayne, give him a hand. I've got her" and moved towards the Mistress.

"Thought you'd never ask" beamed Marko as he hopped towards the other room.

Dwayne lifted the witch to her feet and handed her to me with a grin. "You called dibs, she's all yours."

"Thank you." I smiled back. Dwayne nods and moved to help Marko with the Frog brothers.

I glanced beside me to see Paul talking to Elizabeth quietly, holding her hand as he examined her wounds. She couldn't answer him because she had a crushed larynx but I could hear her thoughts just fine. She was already getting annoyed with being fussed over like this but appreciated it all the same. She refused to allow my blood to knock her out, refused the call to sleep… She wanted to see this. Needed to see this.

I returned my attention to the witch and lifted her above my head. She screamed as I slammed her onto the workbench and tried to roll off when I moved to grab a roll of yellow rope. I pounced on top of her and drove my knee against her throat, choking her as I leaned closer until our noses almost touched. She stared at me with wet emerald eyes, trying to plead without speaking, begging me to let her go. She gasped through her nose and coughed against the duct tape currently blocking her main source of air. I could feel the bitch trying to worm her way into my mind and snarled at her.

She whimpered but didn't stop so I applied more pressure on her throat and pinched her nose. Her eyes widened when she realised she was going to die and immediately stopped trying to fuck with my head. I spoke coldly, still blocking her air. "Try that again. I fucking dare you."

"Mmm! Mmm!" She tried to nod but couldn't move her head. I let go of her nose so she could suck in the air she desperately needed. Then jumped off the table with a roll of rope in my hand.

"Having fun yet?" I drove my elbow into her stomach, making her scream and cough again. "How do you like suffocating?'

"Hmmmmfff!" She writhed about weakly.

She cried out in pain and sobbed as I began to tie her to the bench. I made sure every limb had been bound tightly so she'd have no room to move. She lifted her head slightly when I was done. "You really had no idea, who you were fucking with huh?" I punched her face, causing a spurt of blood to fly from her nose as her head smacked back into the table. I leaned into her face and screamed "YOU DON'T FUCK WITH A MAN'S FAMILY!"

She closed her eyes and screamed a muffled scream, her face now covered with black running make-up and blood. I glanced at the wall and eyed an assortment of tools. With a smile, I grabbed and examined them one by one, letting the Mistress see which ones made me grin. I grabbed a mini blowtorch with a blue canister and turned it on, watching the gas powered flame dance for a second before switching it off. I looked past my shoulder to see the Frog brothers and Zoe strung up by their wrists against the wall. Their feet never touched the ground and their wrists bled from their weight constantly pulling against the ropes. Marko and Dwayne seemed to be having a blast tormenting the soon to be victims who were now awake and very aware of their fate. Paul was helping Elizabeth to sit up. She was having trouble keeping her eye open so I'd better get started.

I began by using the blowtorch to heat up a file. Once it was red hot I put it aside and grabbed a box cutter. When I ran my thumb against the blade it felt incredibly blunt. Good. I ripped the tape off the witch's mouth and forced her jaw open, stopping her from speaking or keeping her mouth shut. I quickly snatched her tongue, digging my nails into the dexterous muscle to keep it steady and proceeded to hack it off with the blunt knife. Blood flowed freely from her wound as the Mistress screamed in agony. It took several slashes before I could pry the tip of her tongue away from the rest of it, still holding the appendage in place, preventing her from shutting her mouth.

I let her choke on her blood before using the heated file to cauterize the wound. The sound and smell of burning flesh was drowned out by a high pitched scream but it was music to my ears all the same. So that she couldn't die yet, I turned her face and forced the blood out of her mouth, pinning her cheek against the bench roughly, slowly crushing her jaw until it fractured from the pressure. I smiled when she shrieked and whimpered. I then proceeded to ram a blunt object into every joint in her body. This included a soldering iron in her shoulder, switched on of course, along with a wrench, hammer (ok I used the sharp end with that but not before smashing her ankles first) more files and angel keys.

Somehow she was still conscious but that just adds to my fun. Makes the vengeance that much sweeter. I leaned closer to her pain wrecked face and sneered. "You tried to kill my girlfriend… and our child… Now what do you think I should do hmm?"

"Woah hold up! Lizzy is pregnant!?" Yelled Paul in complete shock.

"Yeah…" I looked over my shoulder to survey everyone. They all looked so confused. Not that I could blame them. It's impossible. I'm dead. My seed is dead. But there we have it. "I just found out a few minutes ago."

"You mean when you fall out the sky?" queried Marko, currently frozen in the act of giving Alan a wet willy.

I nod then glanced at Elizabeth. She looked like she was about to pass out. Dwayne spoke up with a smile "congratulations man!"

"Thanks." I smiled back then mused aloud. "I almost lost my mate and my child because of this witch. What do you guys think I should do with her?"

"Skin her alive!" Yelled Marko with a grin.

"Make her eat her own intestines!" Yelled Paul with a mock evil laugh, though he was being quite serious.

Marko retaliated with a "Dang!" then laughed.

Dwayne laughed and shook his head "I'm sure you can come up with something way more twisted than anything I could offer."

Elizabeth still could not speak, merely blinked with homicidal glee shining from her eye. The other was swollen shut. 'Look at what they did to you Elizabeth… I'll make them pay… we all will.'

"I think I might have an idea." I grinned at the Frog brothers and Zoe before returning my attention back to the Mistress.

She looked petrified as she shrank into the workbench. I morphed once more into my true form and rammed my clawed hand through her lower abdomen. The Mistress howled in wordless pain as I proceeded to rip her womb from her body and showed it to her. The boys cheered and laughed at the senseless violence and I could feel Elizabeth's satisfaction, making me laugh at the now pale mess that was once our enemy. The trauma alone rendered the witch's system into shock. She bled to death within seconds. Her lifeless eyes stared vacantly towards the ceiling of this underground torture chamber. Vengeance was mine.

I turned my attention towards the Frog brothers and threw the bloodied mess of her womb towards them. They were sprayed with a shower of blood as it slammed into Edgar's stomach, making all three of the hunters call out in horror and disgust. Their voices were muffled by the tape that renders their powers of speech obsolete yet they thrashed with renewed vigour against their restraints. This amused me but my attention now laid with my wounded mate. I strode over towards her and Paul, kneeling down by their sides, morphing back to normal now that my vengeance had been satisfied.

Paul's eye's had widened with bloodlust, barely being contained. I took hold of Elizabeth and pulled her into my lap, resting her head against my shoulder, holding her close. "Go have some fun."

"Thanks man!" Paul jumped up and raced over to the suspended hunters and yelled "open season boys! Whoo hoo!"

I glanced over my shoulder and spoke with authority. "Leave Edgar for last. I want him to know how it feels to watch everyone he's ever cared about die… and not be able to do a damn thing about it."

All three of my brothers looked at me in mild surprise. They seemed quite touched by my statement. 'I know I don't show it much… but they're my brothers. Of course I care. Of course it hurt to watch them die…'

Marko broke the silence first "…You got it David." Followed by a nod from Paul and Dwayne.

"So who should we kill first?" Asked Dwayne with a rather serious tone.

"I vote Zoe!" Chimed Paul with a sadistic grin.

"No way, let's do Alan first!" countered Marko, grinning his disturbing grin to Edgar. I think he should kill Edgar, when it's time. He owed him for staking him back in the cave all those years ago.

"We can't do both at the same time." Added Dwayne.

"Why not?" protested Paul.

Dwayne shrugged slightly "for maximum shock and horror dude."

"Oh… ok, ice breaker then." Paul raised his fist towards Marko. "I win, we kill Zoe first, you win and Alan bites it first."

"Ok! Ready?" Marko raised his fist and they both got ready to play rock, paper, scissors. I couldn't help but snicker at this and glanced down to see Elizabeth smiling too.

They shook their fists together and both displayed scissors. Dwayne called "tie", earning a groan from Marko and Paul.

The hunters were all trying to say something but no one paid them any mind as the second round was played. Paul played paper where Marko played rock. "Yes!" Paul smacked Marko's hand down with a laugh.

"Shit. Ok ladies first!" Marko laughed as he turned to face Zoe with Paul and Dwayne.

To everyone's surprise, Zoe's eyes had changed to silver. Her whole body began to shift and grow fur. Her face morphed into a snout, ripping the tape off as she changed and her nails became claws. Paul took a step back and called "Woah! She's Hulking out!"

"Ha! David called it right! Wolf-man species" chimed Marko as he moved to grab a crowbar from the tool rack close by.

Zoe lifted herself and used her teeth to shred the rope that held her above the ground. She landed with a snarl and immediately made a move for Dwayne. He jumped back on reflex with his arms stretched out "Woah! Just missed sweet cheeks! Try again!" and laughed wildly.

Edgar and Alan seemed to be in complete shock and watched everything in silence. I knew the boys had this under control and stayed with Elizabeth, trying to make her comfortable since she refused to fall asleep. Had Zoe been a wolf-beast, well that would've been a different story. The werewolf swiped her claws at Dwayne again but missed as he ducked past her, slashing her waist with his own talons. She howled and spun around to swipe at him again, only to be punched by a vampiric Paul, making her stagger back as the three of them surrounded her. Marko rammed the hooked end of the crowbar into the creatures back, yanking her away from Paul, towards Dwayne.

Dwayne slashed her across the face, then booted her in the chest, forcing the crowbar to shift deeper into her back, piercing her lung. She roared in both pain and rage, delivering slashes towards the three of them in rapid succession. The boys seemed to dance around her, taking a chunk with them every time they passed her until Marko ripped the crowbar out of her back. He used the hook to grip her foot and pulled the ground out from under her. She hit the floor hard and the boys proceeded to rip her into pieces. She stopped snarling when Paul tore her head from her shoulders with a triumphant yell. They all laughed and cheered as Paul danced around with her head, presenting it to Edgar like a trophy. The hunter stared at the ground, hanging his head low. Don't know why he bothered. I could smell the tears from here. Paul drop kicked Zoe's wolf like head across the room then bounced away to give Dwayne and Marko room to deal with the Frog brothers.

"Looks like you're up bud." Cooed Marko to Alan, pulling him down and forcing him to face his brother. "Here Dwayne, I'll keep Edgar's eyes open."

"Thanks." Dwayne grinned as he grabbed Alan's hair and yanked him roughly to stand in front of him. He then used his free hand to grab Alan's throat and waited for Marko to make Edgar watch his brother die.

Alan writhed around in Dwayne's vice like grip but he was wasting his time and he knew it, just refused to go down quietly. Marko jumped behind Edgar's hanging form and yanked his head back. The hunter kept his eyes closed. "Open your eyes dude, don't wanna miss the show right?" teased Marko but Edgar kept his eyes shut.

I spoke up coldly. "Open your eyes douchebag or we'll torture your brother first. Then you can listen to him scream and beg for the death you denied him."

Edgar opened his eyes and screamed a very muffled "fuck you!" followed by something else.

Marko whispered into Edgar's ear. "Say… goodbye Alan" and grinned once more.

Right on que, Dwayne ripped the hunters throat out, splattering the man's blood all over Edgar's face. Edgar screamed and thrashed about, trying to say something to his dying brother but the tape kept the words unspoken. Alan fall with a strangled gurgle and would've hit the ground if it hadn't been for Dwayne holding him up. Only when the hunter's heart stopped beating was he allowed to fall from his grasp. Alan hit the ground with a heavy thud, earning another yell from Edgar with tears streaming down his face. The boys laughed cruelly at Edgar's pain.

I sneered at the broken hunter. "Hurts. Doesn't it? Feel helpless yet? Know true hatred yet? Now you know how it feels."

Edgar just stared at me with a hatred that probably matched my own. Marko ruffled his hair and cooed "So who's gonna get you?"

"He's yours Marko."

Marko looked over Edgar's shoulder in surprise. "You sure?"

"I'm sure." I nod and watched closely, curious to what Marko would do.

He seemed to think about it for a moment the grinned. "Oh I know. What's the worst way for a hunter to go?" He tapped Edgar on the back of the head, earning a grunt but no muffled reply. "Don't know? I'll give you a big hint!"

With that he yanked the hunters head to the side and sank his fangs into his throat, drinking deeply as Edgar yelled in desperation. Paul and Dwayne cheered while I nod in approval. 'The worst thing to do would be to turn the prick but this is close enough. Plus, why the hell would we want to turn him?'

Eventually, Edgar stopped kicking and breathed out his final breath. It was done. I looked down to the battered body of my Elizabeth and saw the stubborn woman was still awake. Gently, I brushed some of her hair behind her ear and whispered "sleep Elizabeth."

The single eye that she held open narrowed in defiance but she was too exhausted to move. I heard a very clear 'No.' Resonate from within her mind, backed up with a whole lot of anger and relief. She was confused and I don't blame her.

"You need to rest." I adjusted my hold on her so I could gently massage the back of her head, coaxing her to relax. "If you won't do it for yourself, do it for the baby… Sleep." I didn't want to do this, but I pushed her mind to comply.

Her eye slowly closed and she released a long sigh. I felt her consciousness slip away as she fell limp in my arms. She was so very badly hurt and was going to need a lot of my blood to recover… But what will happen to the baby if she turns? Will she need to remain halfway until she gives birth? Will she even stay considering I hurt her? I hoped that by saving her life she'd at least listen to what I have to say before walking away… I won't keep her here against her will… I can't.

'First thing's first though… let's get the hell out of here…'


	25. Trust me to know you

Elizabeth's P.O.V

I woke up with a headache pounding so hard that it caused white flashes to resonate across the back of my eyelids. My body felt like I weighed a ton and my throat felt a little dry and itchy. It was not the normal kind of dry and itchy, like I had breathed through my mouth all night or one of the many side effects from having too much to drink the night before… nah, this was the kind of dry and itchy throat you got when you were sick… y'know? The unquenchable kind… and no amount of coughing is gonna get rid of that itch either.

'Great, now I got a cold on top of everything else. Perfect.'

Slowly, I opened my eyes and blinked away the blurry vision until I stared at one of the many beautiful starfish, seashell and c.d. mobiles used for decoration in the cave that was once a famous resort. I also noticed it was daytime. What time, I did not know. With a small amount of effort, I looked down on myself to see I was wearing one of my Alice Cooper T-shirts and light grey slack pants. My previous night's clothes whereabouts was currently a mystery to me. There were a pair of black boots, one crossed over the other, resting neatly next to my bare feet. I couldn't help but smile as I followed the sea of black clothing higher and higher until I saw a sleeping David, passed out in his wheelchair.

'Are we back where we started? It's a funny old world we live in…'

Despite everything that has happened, I couldn't help but admire the most handsome man in the world. I watched as his lips curled into that signature smirk of his as he spoke. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

I snickered as I pulled the pillow out from under my head and threw it at him. "Prick."

There was bugger all strength behind that throw and he caught it without even opening his eyes. David stuffed the pillow behind him with a chuckle and looked at me with concern in his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by Mac truck… then it backed up for good measure." I moved to sit up slightly and noticed the extreme lack of physical pain. The fatigue was there and I felt like shit but there was no pain per se.

Instead of pushing me back down like I half expected him to, David actually helped me to sit up. He took the pillow out from behind him and propped it up behind me for support. "Well I guess that's normal… Hold still for a sec."

For some reason I complied as David examined every inch of my face. While he was busy, I checked the hand I used to smash the nightmare-ish image out of the mirror. There wasn't so much as a red mark! Let alone the deep gash that semi exposed my knuckles the night before. "What?... How long have I been out?" I really gotta stop losing consciousness around him… it's sending a bad image…

"Hmm… about thirty-four hours." Came his reply, sounding a little distracted until he made eye contact again. "The weeping stopped. For a while there you had bloodied tears streaming down your face."

I was shocked. No freaken way! My hands flew up to touch my face and my neck, feeling nothing but smooth skin… "Woah woah woah! Back up! There is no bloody way that I've been out of it for only thirty-four hours! I'm completely healed! It's just not possible!"

David sighed and moved to grab my hands. I kept them out of his so he shook his head, staring at the ground as he spoke. "Your flesh has healed but your body still needs to rest…"

"What did you do David?" I asked him a little harsher than I intended, making him look up with a stubborn glare of his own.

He stated simply. "I saved your life."

I leaned forward and spoke lowly, calmly but left no room for argument. "What. Did. You. Do?"

His jaw flexed as he tried to keep his temper under control. "The only thing I could. I gave you my blood. I had lost you for the second time and I was not about to let it happen again!"

"You gave me your blood? What exactly does that mean?" I don't assume anything. I need him to spell out exactly what he had done.

He took a deep breath and braced himself. "You are now half-vampire. It is only a matter of time before you lose your humanity and become one of us. For eternity."

I started at him with a mixture of amazement and anger. He has pushed me over the edge. I am now a monster. An official monster. "You… without asking me?"

He yelled, as if (and probably is) reading my mind. "I had no choice! You were dying! You did die! Something happened that bought you some time. Had I hesitated both you, and the baby would be dead!"

"Oh my God! The baby! Will this hurt the baby!?" I suddenly panicked and looked down at my stomach, wondering if the Mistress had killed my baby. "Did that bitch kill my baby!?"

"No!" within a flash David was sitting on the edge of the couch, one arm wrapped securely around my shoulders, holding me close to him while his hand held my womb. "You and the baby are fine. You're both safe… Here… Give me your hand." I let him take my hand and he held it against my tummy. "See? The baby is safe…"

Somehow, David guided or triggered my gift and I could sense the life force pulsing within. I sighed with relief and inadvertently leaned into him. "How… is this even possible?"

David shook his head in dismay. "That… I do not know… yet. But what I do know is this. A dead womb cannot birth a live child. You will need to remain a half-vampire until you can bring our child into this world."

"Why do I get the feeling that is going to be hard to accomplish?" I asked with my voice laced with sarcasm.

"Because you have sharp instincts…" He sighed again and gently rubbed my belly. "We can discuss the details later… Now you need to rest."

"Uh ah." I shook my head and leaned forward, pulling out of his embrace. "You've got some explaining to do mister."

He frowned as he spoke. "Can't this wait until-"

"No." I stated coldly and folded my arms.

He glared slightly, giving me the 'don't-argue-with-me' look. "Elizabeth."

I glared back the 'put-up-your-dukes-or-I'm-gonna-run-ya-down' look. "Now."

"Ugh." David rubbed his face and looked at me like I'm the most annoying person in the world. "What then?"

"Jimmy." Was all I said, raising my brow, expecting an answer.

David shrugged dismissively. "What about him?"

I punched his face for being a jerk but spoke quite calmly. "Why'd you kill my best friend? Was it really because you thought I was fucking him?"

"Ooof!" He pinched his nose and grumbled something under his breath, taken by that little but surprisingly strong punch. "… Yes."

"Fuck David!" My fists flew towards him as I yelled "Why do you think so lowly of me!?"

He caught my fists and wrestled with me to keep them from flying again. "I don't!"

"Yes you do!" I yelled back trying to get my hands free.

"Stop it already and listen dammit!" He managed to pin both my hands to my lap and forced me to pay attention.

I wriggled a bit then sat still. "Well speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Not funny." He glared again, making me smirk. David sighed, getting whatever it was he had to say straight in is head before finally speaking. "Look… Your scent was all over him… I wasn't thinking straight by the time we had our fight. If I had been, I would have noticed the lack of… well… the scent of another man's seed on you. But like I said I wasn't thinking straight."

I blinked then growled at him. "So you killed him over a misunderstanding?"

"Partially but I had another reason. He was working with the Frog brothers to take us all out. He intended to waltz in, kill us all and whisk you away like a knight in shining armour in the hopes of impressing you… why are you laughing?"

I couldn't help it, this all seemed so ridiculous. Jimmy, wanting to be my knight? Granted this sounded way too sappy and sissy for David's mentality… regardless, I had started laughing and it took a while for me to stop. "Oh come on! Do you expect me to believe that Jimmy wanted to save the damsel in distress?"

David shrugged. "I read his mind, the rest came from the horse's mouth."

I blinked in disbelief. "For real? … You're not kidding."

"No I'm not." He stated coldly.

"And he intended to kill you all?" I asked carefully, leaning forward slightly.

"He had a stake. Did it all for you and not just as a friend trying to save another friend. You didn't see how he looked at you. He wanted you for himself and … I was … overprotective of that." David looked quite embarrassed as he tried to explain himself.

I leaned back, unsure with how to feel about Jimmy's death now. 'Was I really that blind?'

David broke my trail of thought with a question. "Can I ask you something?"

I nod slowly "yeah sure…"

"What would you have done, if you discovered Jimmy's plot?" He asked cautiously.

I paused for a moment, really thinking about it before giving him my answer. "I would have tried to talk him out of it."

Without missing a beat, he asked. "And what if that didn't work?"

Now I really had to think about it. What would I have done? What if I couldn't reason with Jimmy? Would he think that David and the others had corrupted me, if I tried to tell him the truth? If I tried to tell him that he never really knew me, would he still try to save me by killing them? Would I have let him do it? 'HELL NO'……. "I… I would have killed him."

David looked surprised. In fact he looked very freaken shocked. "Really?"

I nod and stared at my lap. "Yeah…"

He tilted my chin up and searched my eyes. "… why?"

I smiled and closed my eyes, shaking my head slightly in amusement. "Oh I dunno…" I opened my eyes and smirked. "Because I can't see my life without you or the others anymore." I really don't wanna use the 'L' word here but I think that's what it is. "… Because the idea of you dying, makes me feel sick."

David chuckled and pinched my chin. "That could just be the morning sickness."

I laughed and shoved his chest. "You really are a jerk you know that?" He moved with the shove but didn't fall off the couch. The prick really can defy gravity.

David wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "I know…." He sighed again then asked. "So… Are you still mad at me?"

I sighed quietly. "Yes."

"You don't look mad." He countered.

"I'm good at hiding it." I smirked again.

"But why are you still mad? You said it yourself, you would've killed Jimmy if you knew about his plans…" He frowned again.

"I owed him my life David. You didn't give me the opportunity to spare his life. You didn't give him a chance. And you don't really trust me at all." I spoke with finality.

David groaned and looked down. "You're not gonna drop this are you?"

"Nope."

"What can I say? What can I do to show you my trust!? Obviously my word is not good enough for you…" He growled in frustration.

I looked thoughtful then shrugged. "Well you did break your word."

He stared at his lap with slumped shoulders. Shame almost seemed to pulse from him. Like that was the worst crime he could have committed. "I know… I wish I could take back what I said about your brother but… great insults last a lifetime." He looked up slightly, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

"That's true." I leaned back into the couch and tried to think of a way to fix things between us. Then my eyes widened and I gasped "wait I got it!"

He blinked "got what?"

"I know how you can show me that you trust me." I grinned broadly.

He leaned back slightly, looking a little… uncomfortable. Which only served to make my grin morph into a cruel one. "I don't think I like this idea…"

"You haven't heard it yet." I teased.

He narrowed his eyes at me then relented. "Ok… what's the plan?"

I clapped my hands together once, then rubbed them together like an evil villain that just came up with the best world domination plan yet. "Let me see you."

He looked a tad confused. "You… see me every day…"

I shook my head and grinned madly "no no no no. Let me see you. All of you. Whom you once was. Who you are inside. Your past David."

His face hardened and he shook his head. "No. No way. Leave the past where it lay's. It holds no bearing over the future and is best left forgotten."

"Now that's where you're wrong David. The past defines us, shapes us into who we are." I tisked him with my finger.

"You are defined by what you do." He was being stubborn.

"But what you do is effected by what you have done." I countered and grabbed his hand. "What are you afraid of? Do you think you have done something so horrible, it will make me judge you and leave?"

David merely frowned as he mulled over my words. "Elizabeth… I…"

I used my free hand to cup his cheek. "Trust me."

David scoffed. "Alright. Fuck it. But remember, you asked for this."

He grabbed both sides of my face and used his thumbs to close my eyes. He moved so fast I didn't even have time to say 'oh shit!'

Just like before, it felt like something grabbed my centre and yanked me backwards with a bright flash of jumbled colour.

David's P.O.V.

'I did not expect to have to re-live the memory like some freaken flash-back but I suppose I should be grateful… It's not a childhood memory. I can hear her now. "Oh my God you look so cute!" Yeah. Would never hear the end of it. But then again… I know where this memory is going… and I think it may shock her… maybe even disgust her.'

I'm walking slowly, hunched over, looking this way and that trying to see past this fucking fog… but naturally all I see is an endless cloud of white meeting an equally endless see of mud. My fingers clutched my rifle into a tight death grip as my heart pounded in my ears… freezing my ass off in the crisp morning air. The entire platoon is somewhere out here in no man's land… lost. Lost because of the Major's cockamamie plan to go over the top into the middle of an onslaught. We fought through the night and never quite made it to the Hun's trench on the other side. Now I'm looking for ANYONE out here… dead or alive. My foot sank into the mud and it seemed to be determined to stay there until I looked down. There I saw my ankle, surrounded by a man's chest, oozing with a slurry of blood and dull mud.

I couldn't even tell if it was a Hun or one of my own men, too badly mangled and covered in mud… either way it earned a shudder of disgust. "Oh shit… charming…" I managed to pull my foot out and gave it a flick, sending a piece of the dead man's ribcage with a dollop of slurry a few feet ahead. "Very fucking charming…"

I made my way forward, occasionally checking a fallen body every time I looked down. Whenever it was one of mine, I took their dog tags for safe keeping. I was in the process of checking another corpse when it suddenly grabbed me, coughing up blood, stuttering "nicht schiezen! Bitte nicht schiezen…"

I shook the fallen German soldier off my leg, kicked him flat on his back and stabbed him with my bayonet, attached on the end of my Lee Enfield. He let out a gurgled cry and stared at me in horror. I leaned my weight into my rifle, driving the blade deeper into his chest and sneered into his face. "There… I didn't shoot you."

He groaned as he grabbed the hem of my coat and pulled me closer, spitting his blood into my face. "Sie sind der Teufel…" Then released his final breath, falling heavily back into the mud.

I leaned closer and spied something shiny next to where my blade was currently embedded into his chest. I plucked it off and rubbed it against my thigh, cleaning it enough to find a black German Iron Cross… second class by my reckoning. I pocketed my trophy and pulled the blade from his chest. "The Devil has got nothing on me Fritz."

The light seemed to darken, making the white fog turn into a dull grey… looked like it was going to rain. Great. As I got ready to move, I heard another voice calling from somewhere to my right. "Sarge… Sarge is that you?"

I ducked and aimed my rifle in the direction of the weakened voice. "Who calls?"

"J-Jefforson…" The voice was barely a whisper; I almost didn't hear him.

I ran in his direction "Oh shit, Thommy! Where are you man!?"

I slid into a mortar crater, almost breaking my damn neck thanks to this fucking fog! A mud covered hand stretched up right beside me, making me flinch then grab it. "H-here… I'm hit… How bad is it?"

Thom. The dumb shit lied about his age to get into the army for the grand adventure. I bet he regrets his decision now. He'd been hit in the stomach and was slowly bleeding to death. If I didn't get him evaced now, he was screwed. I checked myself for a field dressing but my pack fell off at some point last night. So I fished through his pack and used his to bind the wound. He yelled out loudly as I applied pressure to the wound. Not wanting to draw any attention to us I covered his mouth with my hand.

"Shut up kid! Listen, you're gonna be alright ok? It takes a long fucking time to die from a bullet to the gut but it hurts like hell ok? It's normal." I didn't really know how to comfort someone but I gave it my best shot. He's one of mine. I'd lay down my life for one of my own men… it's just the way I am.

The kid nods, sucking up the pain the best he could. Once I was sure he wouldn't scream I fished through my pockets until I found my compass. I finally got my bearings, seeing which way I needed to go to get us back to our trench. "S-sergeant… I'm scared…"

"Don't be." I shut my compass and stuffed it back into a pocket then looked at the kid cautiously. "I'm getting you out of here." I strapped my gun to my back and hoisted the kid over my shoulder. He yelled out again but there was nothing I could do. "I know it hurts man, hang on."

Gunfire sounded off in the distance as I jogged back in the direction of allied lines. Thom did his best to keep his cries to himself but it was only a matter of time before the Huns caught up to us. It didn't matter. I was getting this kid back home. No matter what. It was hard to run in ankle deep mud, carrying this kid on my back but I forced my legs to keep moving. Much to my surprise, the gunfire didn't follow us. Then it was quiet. Eerily quiet. The only sound you could hear was my own breath, panting with every step I took. I don't know how long I'd been running but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the sound long distance canisters going off close by. I didn't even think. I dropped the kid quickly, making him yell out again in pure agony.

"W-what is it sarge?" He asked as I searched his pack again.

I found what he was looking for and covered his face with the standard issue gasmask. "Mustard gas."

"No wait!" He coughed as he tried to take it off. "What about you!?"

I secured it then pulled him back onto my shoulder. "I'll be fine, now keep that fucking thing on and yell if I need to move left or right!" My eyes were beginning to burn already so I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I could… with my eyes closed!

Thom clung to my back so he could see where we were going. He yelled with every bounce and called "left" or "right." Every time he did I would blindly leap in that direction, hoping he called my left and not his.

My lungs felt like they were trying to punch through my chest but I wouldn't breathe. My eyes continued to burn despite being shut, making them water which of course made the burn worse. Just when I thought I was out of time, I heard a chorus of muffled voices yelling "Here! Over here! Sargent over here! We're over here!" Gunfire started up, triggered by the sudden noise alerting the Huns to the allied position.

I ran towards the voices but I couldn't hold my breath anymore. I released what I held and took in what felt like liquid fire, coughing up a storm as I collapsed to the ground. A bullet whizzed past my head as I tried to find Jefferson, still refusing to open my eyes. But the damage was done. I could feel my blood streaming down my face as I continued to choke on my liquefying lungs. 'So this is how I die? Death by mustard gas?'

I'm suddenly grabbed by someone and dragged into the trench. I heard the bullet hit whoever grabbed me somewhere, forcing them to drop me onto the ground. Someone else yelled "Get a mask on him!"

I could feel the fabric being pulled over my face so I grabbed their wrists and stuttered "J-Jefforson?"

"He's safe sarge, you got him back now put this on!" I let go and whoever it was… sounded like Williams but I couldn't be sure… and they shoved the mask over my face.

I coughed up my burning lungs as I felt myself being carried somewhere… probably the infirmary. 'Ahh they're wasting their time… I'm a dead man.' But that didn't seem to stop them from trying.

…

I came to feeling a bandage around my eyes, having difficulty breathing… shit… it felt like I didn't even have any lungs… I fighting to stay awake even though I couldn't open my eyes… I know I'm dying. The Major's voice spoke calmly to whom I guessed to be the medic. "So how's he doing?"

Doc, or so we all called him, sighed and spoke quietly. "He doesn't have long…"

"I'd like a word with him."

"Make it count sir." Doc stepped out of the area and flicked the blanket we used for patient privacy closed.

The only sound I could hear right now was my own ragged breathing… It hurt so much to force my lungs to work but I refused to just lay down and die… even if that's exactly what I'm gonna do. 'At least the kid made it… he can go home…'

"You are a very interesting case David. Murderer and saviour." The Major's voice spoke right next to my ear, surprising me but I didn't have the strength to flinch.

"M… Mur…" I couldn't get the word out… shit I couldn't even use my voice I was that weak…

"Yes murderer." Cooed the Major, now at my other side… How did he move so fast? So quietly? "I know what you did to those prisoners… you live for the kill. Don't you? Yet you risked life and limb to save a naïve boy."

Something was very wrong about all this… but I must be delirious… 'Yeah… That's what this is. I'm hallucinating before I die…'

I felt something close to my face then the Major spoke again. "Now that's got me curious… I wonder. What would you do if I saved your life? Do you want to live Sutherland?"

'That's the dumbest question in history.' I'd roll my eyes if I could.

The Major laughed, as if he heard me. "That may be so. I can save your life Sargent but it comes at a price." He stalked around me as he spoke but I didn't even bother to follow his voice… couldn't move anyway… I'm still trying to figure out how he heard my thoughts.

'What price?'

"Eternal damnation. And before you ask, no I am not the Devil nor a demon."

I thought about it as I felt myself slowly slipping away. I honestly didn't care if he was or not. 'I'm already damned.'

"I'll take that as a yes." I heard the sound of flesh being punctured by something… probably a knife… and a liquid being poured into a container of some kind. Something was pressed against my lips and my head was being lifted to meet it. "Drink."

I hesitated briefly before allowing the substance to fill my mouth. I could tell it was blood and fought the urge to spit it back out. Instead I swallowed, feeling an odd sense of euphoria spread though my system, taking the pain and forcing me to sleep.

…

The memory skipped ahead to a few nights later (skipping scaring the crap out of the entire platoon with my miraculous recovery), when the Major… Maximillian Roivas… took me to a neighbouring village. The French citizens where already cowering in fear of the German soldiers… completely unaware of what was about to happen… Hell Max didn't even know what was about to happen. I sure as hell didn't. He motioned for me to follow him, staying low and in the shadows. Like the good yet confused soldier I was, I followed him until we reached someone's house. He motioned for me to stay put as he stealthily climbed through the window.

I was hit with the thirst hard, dropping to my knees, clutching my chest while I tried to catch my breath. Panting, I forced myself to me feet and staggered to the house, leaning against the wall for support while I willed the fire out of my chest. I could hear the sounds of a struggle but before I could bring myself to look inside, the Major hopped through, carrying a young woman over his shoulder. As soon as his feet touched the ground she tried to kick and scream… but one sharp clip to the head from Max convinced her to cooperate. I looked at him like he was crazy as he lowered her to the ground. He forced her to her knees, staining her white nightdress with soil, holding a fist full of her curly brown hair to keep her in place. I watched the girl sob and pleaded in French, undoubtedly for us to let her go. Max merely grinned and seemed to be waiting for something, watching me closely.

I could hear something pounding away and it was then I realized it was her heartbeat. I clenched my jaw before looking at the Major. "Sir… what the hell is going on?"

"We are celebrating my boy. Your new life." He grinned sharply, removing his spectacles and tossed them aside like they were useless.

Then something impossible happened. His face morphed into something that would make Edgar Allan Poe himself shit his pants. I watched as the Major transformed into what one could only describe as a monster. An aura of darkness and power seemed to surround him, creating a sense of dread to anyone who was dumb enough to be here right now… namely me and the French girl. She tried to scream but he suddenly sunk his fangs into her throat, causing her to release a strangled gasp. The pain in my chest returned in full force, making my entire body shake as something inside me was awakened… I could feel my face changing, my mouth hurt as my canines and incisors grew, all I could focus on was this small fragile French girl and the smell of her blood.

The Major tore his teeth away from her throat, deliberately ripping the wound open, making it bleed openly… calling to me. I didn't even think… I didn't need to… I wanted her blood and without even a word nor a push from Max, I rushed forward and sank my new fangs into her soft, pale neck. Max laughed in triumph as I took the first gulp of her sweet, insatiable blood. It tasted so delicious, finer than any wine, sweeter than any juice… she was pure… untouched… young… only fifteen years of age… all these little facts could be derived from one's blood. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. She didn't put up a fight… disappointing. I tightened my hold on her and drank until the last drop, making my first vampiric kill, completing the transformation… but I wanted more.

I dropped her corpse unceremoniously to the ground and charged into the nearest house, searching for more prey. You see… Max should have done his homework better or maybe he thought he could handle this. Or he was bored and wanted this to happen, who knows… but by the time I was done… the entire town had been massacred. Every man, woman, soldier and… child… laid dead in their own pools of blood. Several fires had been lit as people tried to escape my bloodlust or it was from a soldiers misplaced grenade. I don't really remember the details because I was in a frenzy… I just remember looking down to see a blonde four-year-old girl in her tiny nightgown, currently nestled in my arms… as lifeless as the rest of this town with a torn out throat.

Max seemed to be cleaning his glasses, leaning against a wall, streaked with someone's blood. "My my David… That's quite the bloodlust you have there. You'll make a fine soldier in my new family. A formidable opponent to any and all enemies, both foreign and domestic." He laughed to himself, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I had been staring at this kid in my arms the whole time.

I put the girl down gently and closed her lifeless eyes for her. Feeling very uncomfortable with the knowledge of taking a kid's life… and many others I'm sure. But the feeling of guilt was slowly fading away… along with my humanity. I rose to my feet and looked at my sire with a mixture of distaste and forced obedience. He was a prick for letting me go this far but… he did say this would cost me my soul. And I lost that at a very young age. It would seem some people are born to be monsters. I sighed with the thought, then patted my pockets down to fish out a well-worn packet of cigarettes. There was one cancer stick left… been saving it. I took the last smoke with my lips and grabbed the box of matches I kept in my back pocket. Once I struck the match I lit myself up and took a long drag, enjoying the now intoxicating mixture of tobacco and blood.

I glanced at my sire and smirked cruelly. "So… What's next?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI
> 
> nicht schiezen! Bitte nicht schiezen – Don't shoot! Please don't shoot!
> 
> Sie sind der Teufel – You are the Devil.
> 
> Huns and Fritz are references to German soldiers during the first world war


	26. To make amends – Part 1

Elizabeth's P.O.V

The scene fades to black as my senses return to the present day. My breath shudders, betraying how deeply affected I am by this slightly unexpected revelation. The cool leather still gently pressed against my eyelids acted like a much needed anchor, reminding me that this is all very real. The massacre. The screams. They echoed in the back of my mind as David's hands left my face, making me yearn and recoil from his touch at the same time. It wasn't that I was horrified or disgusted by what I saw, just a little overwhelmed right now.

David's sigh made me open my eyes to reveal a blurry image. After blinking a few times, I could see him wearing a rather solemn expression. "So now you know…" He paused for a moment, watching me carefully as he continued. "I was never… quite right y'know? I always liked hurting and frightening people. Got a kick out of killing them. War suited me just fine, well, accept for the discipline…"

I frowned, slightly pursing my lips as I forced my mind to function properly. "But you fought tooth and nail to save that kid. Thomas. You sacrificed yourself for him."

"I fight to protect my own…" He spoke like that was obvious. "He was under my command and it was my duty to keep my men alive… for as long as possible. I didn't buy that. It felt deeper than that. Like a balance for his rather dark and psychotic nature…

I folded my arms and gave him a stern look. "But you felt guilt over the girl. The little French girl in your arms. The one with blond hair."

"It faded. I don't feel guilt anymore... Well not over taking lives." He shrugged but remained guarded. "Everything just makes sense now."

I rubbed my face, suddenly feeling very tired. Too tired to really focus on much of anything. "That must be nice… Not feeling any more guilt… Not being confused no more…"

He smiled slightly as he took a hold of my hands, rubbing his thumbs across my knuckles. "You'll get there. Once you turn, you won't have to worry about any of this anymore. Some people really are born to be monsters."

I searched his eyes, questioning his statement. "What makes you so sure?"

His smile reached his eyes, relaxing me, making me feel warm and calm. "Because I know exactly what you're going through."

I blinked and found he was that little bit closer to me, the space between us decreased dramatically. "How?"

"We're the same, you and I. I struggled at first. Was raised to be a good man. Knew what I was doing was wrong but it felt so damn good. A certain kind of freedom…" We were now only inches apart and I found I wanted him even closer. I felt closer. Like our bond was growing stronger.

I found myself nodding in agreement. His hand moved to trace my jaw with a feathered touch, making me blush once more. "The rush is… intoxicating."

His lips ghosted over mine as he breathed "it makes you feel alive… and powerful. Give's you control."

I whispered back "that it does" as my eyes fluttered closed on their own, loving and hating that he could read me so well… he's only ever been wrong once and I believe it was due to being given no time to think through his own crazy haze at the time.

His kiss was gentle. Intimate. All of my thoughts seemed completely irrelevant right now as It made my heart clench with an overwhelming need to hold him. So I did just that. My arms snaked around him as his slid around me, returning his kiss with a gentle passion. He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. "Am I forgiven?"

I'm taken back by his need for my forgiveness but held him close regardless. I couldn't help the smirk that played on my lips "I thought you said you don't feel guilt."

His own smirk finally returned to his features. "I will always regret hurting you."

I teased him with an "awe" to which he retaliated by tickling my ribs, making me squeal from the unexpected assault. I hit his arm playfully then leaned back into the couch. "Almost. You are almost forgiven."

"Almost huh?" He lifted my legs so he could sit beside me before resting them over his lap, earning a rather shocked expression from me. "So what do I need to do in order to earn your full forgiveness?" He asked as he squeezed my calf, tracing circles into the well-used muscle while his hand drifted higher.

I grinned impishly, suddenly feeling quite evil for I knew he would not like this. Not one bit. "You're not gonna like it." I cooed as I trapped his hand between my knees.

His smirk only seemed to grow as he glanced at his trapped hand. "If penance were easy everyone would do it."

"True." I nod and waited until I had his direct attention. Once he looked up I became more serious. "I want you to help me bury my friend."

He blinked then tilted his head. "Seriously?"

I nod and held his questioning gaze, watching him keep his face neutral despite the flash of anger in his eyes. 'Ha! Elizabeth-1, David-0.'

He frowned again, obviously not liking the idea at all. "Really? Aren't there people who can-"

I shook my head. "No. Jimmy and I are immigrants. His family are back home in Freemantle… somewhere. He never talked about them but I got the distinct impression they were either dead or he wished them to be dead and well… We met on the streets y'know? He never left them accept when he joined the army. No one will come to claim him."

He thought for a moment as his face crunched up into a pure look of frustration. "You know we won't have a legal claim over him… Since we're not family. And since he was so badly mangled without any ID I bet, he'd be listed as a John Doe."

Clicking my tongue in deep thought before remembering the piece of I.D. my old friend always wore around his neck. "What about his dog tags? They have his name, rank and serial number printed into the metal…"

David pulled his hand free from between my knees and searched through his left exterior pocket. He fished out the beaded chain and gave them to me. When I opened my hand, Jimmy's tags dangled back and forth before my eyes. With a sigh I glanced at him with a questioning gaze. He shrugged before explaining himself. "I don't know why I took them, habit maybe… but… I think you should have them."

I nod then examined the tags again, noticing the lack of blood on their metallic surface. I mumbled "thanks" before pocketing them in the back of my slack pants. I felt a jolt of pain when I wriggled my hand out again, catching something sharp towards the back of the couch with my fingertips and yanked my hand out with a yelp.

David flinched before blurting "are you ok?" I nod, he then watched me carefully as I fished out what stabbed me. His Iron cross. "Heh. I was wondering where that got to" and smirked once more.

I stared at the war trophy curiously, wondering where the blasted thing came from. "Where the hell…? Oh… must've fallen out from the back of my pants." I mused aloud.

David nods in agreement and held his hand out expectantly. "Probably when I cleaned you up…"

I handed it back sheepishly "sorry. I was curious about it" and he quickly returned it to where it belonged. Just when I pulled my hand back he caught my wrist, then guided my hand closer to his face.

When I was about to ask him what he was doing, a single crimson stream of blood trickled past my knuckle, pooling slightly in the webbing between my index and middle finger. I was completely transfixed by the sight of my own blood. It was deeper than my usual morbid fascination with the substance. I simply could not take my eyes off it and for some reason that thirsty itch in the back of my throat became more noticeable. Suddenly, I could feel something soft and wet touch the tip of my fingers. My eyes broke away from the blood that captivated me to see David's tongue gently lapping at the open cut.

His eyes had briefly closed over in bliss before opening with a hooded gaze, curling his clever tongue around my fingers before taking them into his mouth. I couldn't help but moan as he sucked, pulling back slowly as his licked and suckled my blood away. I could feel the blush creeping across my cheeks and around the tips of my ears. My breath hitched as I felt even more heat pooling in my belly, making me squirm when he finally released my fingers from his devilish mouth. He flicked his tongue along the tips one last time then kissed the now closed wounds.

I was biting my lip to supress the mixture of emotion and desire when he lowered my hand but never let go. His voice purred "you should be more careful." Making me squirm again.

Before I could say or do anything to reciprocate his teasing behaviour or to act on my desires, he yanked me so I had to lie down and suddenly found myself laying on my side with him behind me, spooning me as it were. I blinked, suddenly confused with the change and lack of... well… sex. "Wha-?"

"Shhh." He wrapped his arm around my midsection, nestled neatly under my breasts and above my belly. He pulled me against him, making me feel his chest against my back and his legs were tangled with mine. "It'll be a long night. We're gonna need all the sleep we can get."

While this was most definitely comfortable, nice and incredibly relaxing, I was left feeling unbelievably horny. I tried to turn over but he held me firmly in place. "But-"

He mumbled "sleep" and seemed to be drifting off to do just that.

I couldn't help the frustrated huff that escaped my lips before closing my eyes and wriggled until I was comfortable. I whispered "prick" under my breath and felt him smile into the crook of my neck. 'Oh yeah… he's definitely a prick. Elizabeth-1, David-1. Tie.'

David's P.O.V.

I could smell her arousal but made no move to appease her desires... or mine for the matter… shit if she wriggled any more she would have most definitely noticed how hard I am right now and made things… much more difficult to control. Payback's a bitch. She will have to wait until after this business with her stupid asshole of a friend is done and dusted. Why she is so damn insistent about all this is beyond me. She said she'd kill him if she found out about his little scheme but… I suppose she owed him.

'Maybe it's the principle of the matter. Hmm. I can respect that.'

I watched her slowly fall asleep, mostly due to fatigue with everything she'd been through lately. Her chest gently rose and fell as she entered rem sleep, parting her lips slightly with a sigh. I found myself pulling her just that little bit closer to me and nuzzled into her neck, scenting her auburn hair. It smelled of lavender and blood, making me shiver in delight. This earned a hum of subconscious appreciation from her which made me want to wake her and screw her brains out right here right now. But no. I gotta wait. I gotta do this right. She needs to know I'm sorry, that she's wanted, needed. I almost lost her again so there is no room for failure. With that in mind, my resistance to the call of sleep began to wane as the ever frustrating daylight forced my undead body to rest.

…

I could hear someone snickering away like some love sick school girl, grating on my nerves like you wouldn't believe. My grip tightened around Elizabeth's waist and my face scrunched up in irritation as I grumbled "shut up Marko."

This of course, did not shut him up. Instead he out right laughed, shaking Elizabeth from her much needed rest and forcing me to crack my eyes open. There stood Marko laughing his ass off, doubled over and gasping for breath. I could tell she was glaring at him because I could feel her desire to throttle him about the ears through our bond, making me smirk as the mental image danced through my mind. She patted my arm and in about one millisecond after my moving it, she had pounced from the couch and knocked Marko to the ground. He bounced on his ass and kept laughing.

At this point I sat up and grabbed the pillow we had been using just moments ago as Elizabeth pulled Marko's feet from under him, then flipped him onto his stomach. She looked to me and clapped her hands once, holding them out for the pillow. I tossed said item and watched as she quickly sat on his back and began to beat the living crap out of him with the fluffy white pillow. Marko yelped and tried to bump her off is back but she wouldn't budge. Just continued to throttle him with the harmless thing. He started laughing again then quickly rolled, knocking her to the side and scrambled to his feet.

She was up in two shakes and smacked him right in the torso. He caught the pillow and wrestled her for it. I knew what was going to happen next and quietly slinked out of the line of fire. They pulled and tugged at the pillow, trying to rip it from each other's grip, laughing at each other since neither could claim their prize. Then it ripped in half, sending both of them to the ground with a plume of white and grey feathers, floating like a miniature explosion around them. Before long, both they and half of the main area of the cave were covered in feathers. After a brief moment of silence, the pair of them fall over into a fit of giggles, making me rub my temples with the approaching headache threatening to consume my mind.

Surprisingly, it was Marko who stopped laughing first but he had to fight to stop himself from starting again. "Heh… it's good to see you feeling better Lizzy."

She grinned and started dusting some of the feathers off her clothing. "Thanks Marko, I do feel much better today."

Paul and Dwayne finally emerged from the tunnel entrance and observed the scene of chaos before them. "Woah? Who called the maid?" came Paul's sardonic comment, earning a snicker from Marko and Dwayne. He glanced at Elizabeth, then at me. "I didn't know you guys had a feather fetish. Kinky."

Elizabeth stuttered and blushed quite heavily at the mention of 'fetish' and I glared holes right through Paul's grinning face. I spoke coldly and calmly. "You've got a two second head start."

Paul knew he was in for it and immediately ran, darting out of the cave faster than the human eye could see. I counted to two and dashed after him, catching him quite easily and dragged him back in a headlock. He writhed about, trying to get out of my grip. "Ow man! C'mon I was only kidding!" He tried and failed to keep the laughter out of his voice.

I brought him in front of Elizabeth, who was now standing and smirking rather cruelly at Paul. I smirked in return before purring "Say sorry."

Paul quickly stuttered an apology. "I'm sorry" and snickered away.

I tightened my grip. "What was that?"

He made an exaggerated choking noise. "I'm sorry!"

"Mean it." I drawled, tightening my grip further but not nearly enough to make it hurt. We are just messing around after all.

He winced 'I'm so sorry!" then I finally let him go. He spun away and rubbed his neck, pouting at being roughed up like that.

Elizabeth laughed and gave Paul a hug. "Apology accepted Paul." Then kissed his neck, where I had him in the headlock.

Paul shivered then grinned wildly, picking her up in a bear hug and spun her around once. "yea-heh! Thanks Lizzy!" Then put her back down gently.

I couldn't help the surge of anger and jealousy that coursed through my system. 'She kissed his neck. HIS NECK! Doesn't she know what that does!? And she kissed Paul! Right in front of me!'

The nerve of the girl. 'To hell with waiting till this mess is over!'

Before she even knew what hit her, I grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the tunnel, heading right for our nest. She yelled at the sudden grip and pulled against me on reflex… but I wasn't gonna tolerate any of that. She needs a reminder that she's mine dammit! I yanked her in front of me then captured her lips into a smouldering hot kiss, displaying to everyone that she is my mate. Thenhoisted her over my shoulder, now carrying her into the tunnels. The boys whooped and teased us while she yelled "put me down this instant!" hitting my back and kicking her legs. When she kneed me in the chest I swatted her ass, earning a surprised yelp from her then tightened my grip on her legs so she couldn't do it again. I booted the door open for our private room then slammed it shut behind us after I carried her inside. Then I dropped her into the nest of blankets and pounced on top of her before she could scramble away.

That didn't stop her from trying so I had to move quickly. I forced her legs to wrap around my hips, then caught her flying fists and pinned them above her head again. My lips crashed against hers with so much force, her head bounced off the ground. I gave no quarter and bit her lip… Hard. Making it bleed and causing her to yelp. My tongue quickly invaded her mouth, tasting the blood on her lips before greedily exploring very familiar territory, coaxing her tongue to come out and play. The glare in her eyes slowly faded and was soon replaced with hunger and desire, earning a groan from deep within her throat.

I purred as I ravished her delicious lips, being driven wild by the taste of her blood, keeping my movements rough and downright primal. My hips began to grind against hers, generating the friction we seriously craved. She was kissing me back with need and grinding her hips in sync with my own, causing my cock to get harder with each passing second, making my pants way too damn tight and constricting. My lips finally released her own and turned my attention to her neck, deliberately kissing her mark, then bit her hard enough to leave a new bruise. She gasped and moaned, all the while writhing beneath me, trying to pull her hands free and failing every time. Despite how badly I needed to be inside her right now I wanted to make her beg.

I cheated and moved faster than she can right now, taking full advantage of her limbo state by removing her shirt and pinned her again before she could even react. Once more she tried to get out of my grip, pushing against me with everything she's got, which I will admit is pretty damn strong but soon gave up. I smirked and she pouted, then wined "No Fair." Which made me chuckle. My eyes roamed over her beautiful body before making eye contact with her again, then leaned in slowly to capture her swollen lips once more. Her eyes fluttered closed and she returned my kiss with a passion of her own, gasping loudly when I returned my attention to her neck.

She wriggled with every nip, and shivered when I licked then trapped her earlobe. I purred without releasing it from between my teeth. "Tell me what you want."

To her credit she slammed her jaw shut and whispered "no." Opening her eyes to show defiance, making me work for her pleas.

'Oh I do like a challenge!'

She whimpered when I grinned and began to leave a trail of feather like kisses along her neck, nipping occasionally as I travelled past her collarbone, then continued between her breasts, nudging the soft, delicate mounds with my cheek, tickling her with my stubble. She fought to supress her moan but I could smell her arousal, making me painfully hard now… but I can wait. I'm very patient. My lips latched onto her nipple and sucked hard, making her arch her back and groan in pleasure. I swirled my tongue around her now peaking flesh then blew a gentle cool breeze, causing the goose bumps to rise, making her release a shuddering breath. Then, just for good measure, I repeated the process with her other nipple.

Elizabeth keened and moaned, fighting so hard to get out of my grip again. I stopped long enough to look her in the eye. "Tell me what you need."

She closed her eyes and groaned "Oh God…" Then ground her teeth and shook her head no.

'Hmm… seems I need to turn up the heat.'

With that, I shifted my weight and lowered myself further, finally releasing her hands in favour of pinning her hips. Her hands immediately flew to grip my shoulders as she pated heavily, watching me closely as I used my teeth to loosen the waist band currently barring my progress. Once untied, I pulled her slacks off her long smooth legs and tossed them somewhere over my shoulder, admiring her soaking wet pussy with an approving purr. I flicked my eyes up to watch hers as I blew cool air against her slick folds, making her eyes widen as she gasped and try to wriggle away. I tightened my grip on her hips and leaned in closer, inhaling deeply, scenting her pheromones and making her juices run even more.

"Hmm… you smell delicious but… I think I need a little…. Taste." I punctuated the 'T' and smirked when her breath hitched in her throat as she realised just what I was about to do.

"No wait OH!" Her bashful protests where cut short when I gave her labia a good, long, lick. Tasting her sweet nectar with a purr.

I heard her head smack the ground as her entire body trembled with what I guess to be a new sensation. But, judging by the way she was gripping my hair right now… I'd say she liked it. Gently, I pushed her legs open and lazily drew circles on her inner thighs as I explored her with my lips and tongue. She gasped and moaned when I flicked her citreous and damn near jumped off the ground when I nipped and suckled it, then sent the poor girl into a keening mess when I punctured and lapped her entrance. She whispered my name as I continued to please her and her hips began to move on their own, making me chuckle with how riled her body had become. I could feel her body tense around my tongue and her thighs flinched as she came closer to her climax… but I denied her release and pulled bac with a smirk. Elizabeth panted heavily and opened her eyes in time to see me wide a messy smile from my face.

She looked so frustrated and desperate and I knew I finally had her. I slowly crawled up her body, positioning myself above her and licked her neck, earning a groan as she lowered herself back into the blankets surrounding us, trembling with need. "Tell me Elizabeth…" I kissed her teasingly, making her taste herself on my lips. "Tell me what you need."

Her voice wavered as she spoke, hoarse from her arousal. "I need you… I need you David." She held my cheek with one hand as the other moved to unbutton my pants.

I leaned into her touch, savouring it as I shook with self-restraint… this was much harder than I thought it would be. "What do you want me to do?"

Elizabeth had opened my fly and wrapped her warm fingers around my pulsing cock, making me choke back a moan. She looked me right in the eye, face flushing brightly as she whispered. "Please David… I want you to fuck me."

'Finally!'

I was all too happy to grant her request. Within a flash I had freed myself from my pants, spread her legs wide and rammed into her VERY slick pussy. Her warm… so very warm walls wrapped around me, pulling me deeper inside of her as her legs did the same by wrapping around my hips. We moaned together as our bodies finally coupled and I couldn't help but tremble again. She was so tight… and all mine. I pulled myself out all the way to my nob, then slammed back into her, making her yelp in both pleasure and pain. Her nails raked along my back in retaliation but that only pushed me to fuck her harder, snapping my hips against her with a primal growl. She thrust back just as hard and grabbed onto me for dear life as I took her fast and hard.

I waited until her groans and yelps increased in volume and pitch before stopping. Her eyes snapped open in confusion, seeing me smirk down at her before quickly pulling out and turning her over. I held her waist and made her balance on her hands and knees before entering her again. She called out loudly and pushed back against me once she got over the initial shock of switching positions for the first time. I grabbed her hips snapped my hips roughly, causing an audible 'slap' to echo in the room as my balls slapped against her ass. I could see her gripping the sheets so hard her knuckles had turned white but she wasn't screaming anywhere near as much as I wanted her too.

I maintained my relentless pace as my hands roamed her body, one grabbed her breast and squeezed while the other reached below and circled her clit. She yelled out quite loudly and bucked against me wildly as I felt her inner walls tighten around me. My fingers continued to stimulate her sensitive nerve centre, driving her absolutely crazy. Elizabeth released an ear splitting scream as she came hard, her body milking me for all I'm worth, taking me over the edge with her as I yelled out my own release. We rode wave after wave of our pleasure together as several loads of my seed pumped inside her, panting heavily as we did.

We crashed together onto out sides, neither of us seemed to be willing to move or separate out bodies from one another. I wrapped her in my arms and held her from behind, nuzzling the crook of her neck before planting a gentle kiss against her pulse. She hummed and wriggled into me, reminding me that I should probably pull out before I get hard again. Carefully I removed myself from inside her and snuggled back into her, drawn to the amazing amount of heat still generating from her sexy body.

I will never get tired of this.

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

It. Took. AGES to come back down from my high and even then… the aftershocks were not something I could easily dismiss. I have a feeling that I am gonna be impressed with David's 'bedside manner' for a very long time… and it's gonna take even longer to catch up to his level of expertise… granted time is something I have now. So no rush. I glanced over my shoulder to see him watching me closely with such a possessive look in his eyes… That look alone almost made me want to go for round two. Instead, I settled for twisting myself to face him properly, snuggling up to him with a warm smile on my face.

He smiled back and ran his fingers through my hair, making me feel completely relaxed with him. I took a breath and spoke gently. "Not that I'm complaining… far from it actually but… what brought that on?" I asked with a giggle.

David smirked then traced his finger along my jaw. "Just a reminder that you're mine."

I snickered and leaned up to bop his nose with mine. "What made you think I needed a reminder?"

"You kissed Paul on the neck… I know it was meant to be playful banter but… It's very intimate for a vampire…" He explained calmly.

"Oh" I nod with my look of surprise that quickly morphed into a smirk. "So if I want you to drag me away for a good rump I gotta kiss Paul's neck?"

His eyes looked dark as he grinned a sharp grin, rolling to pin me beneath him again. "I can think of many ways for you to entice me into fucking you into a stupor… but kissing Paul, is not one of them."

I deliberately wriggled beneath him and kissed him roughly before answering. "Then I better keep exploring, find out just what it will take…." I liked my lips as I stared at his then looked into his eyes.

He hummed in deep though, clearly liking the idea. "Well that depends on how far you are willing to go."

"To hell and back if that's what it takes to get you riled…" I chewed my lip and rose my hips to meet his. "You're so fucking sexy when you're riled up and angry."

He chuckled darkly before capturing my well and truly swollen lips into another bruising kiss. He whispered "Minx" then pulled back with his signature smirk. "We've got a few things we need to do before going for round two."

"Like what?" I asked with a pout.

He sighed and rolled back, taking me with him so I could rest my head on his chest. "Like explaining what you gotta do to survive being a half-vampire for nine months… and to steal your friend from the morgue. That will take some planning and careful execution."

"Oh." I draped my arm across his stomach to hold his hip. "So what do I need to know?"

"You can't feed on anyone or you will complete the transformation and… miscarry the baby." He looked a tad solemn for a moment before his face became neutral once more.

I shifted uncomfortably at the mention of losing the baby but dismissed it as quick as it came. "That shouldn't be too hard…"

He shook his head and frowned. "That's where you're wrong. The thirst can't be ignored, not even by people with high pain thresholds."

Now it was my turn to frown. "So what do I do? Stay here and push through the pain?"

"Nah." He shook his head with a small confident smile. "You got two options. One: you drink animal blood, gnarly stuff but it will keep you sated. Or two: You drink my blood… the problem with that is… well… probably not that much of a problem." His smile turned into a full blown grin at this.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion then sat up to address him properly. "What do you mean?"

He sat up with me and continued to grin. "It'll be easier if I show you."

With that he bit into the tip of his finger, making it bleed with his thick, crimson blood. My eyes were transfixed I couldn't move… like I was in some kind of trance. He slowly reached over and traced my lips, coating them before pushing his finger into my mouth. As soon as his blood touched my tongue I had this overwhelming need to get more… it tastes so good… so sweet… so… HIM. I needed it and began to suckle and lick his wound, like he did with me earlier, feeling the heat pooling in my stomach, making me ache for him in every sense of the word. It also elevated the dry itch that had been bothering the back of my throat. At some point I had shut my eyes and purred at the flood of sensations and it wasn't until he removed his finger from my lips, did I notice that David was panting heavily with his own desire.

'Ok… drinking his blood will lead to hot and needy sex… gotta hang onto that for later!'


	27. To make amends part 2

Elizabeth's P.O.V

By the time David and I had calmed down enough to escape our self-induced sexual haze and emerged from our room, the others had already left to go find their fun; giving us some privacy as it were. Interestingly enough, they had cleaned up the feathery explosion before they left. Who would've thought a biker gang would be so tidy? Sure as hell not me. With a shrug, I wondered over to my bag that was now tucked neatly behind the couch where I find myself on more often than not, and bent to sift through my assortment of clothing. A pair of hands slipped around my waist, surprising me enough to drop what I had and stand upright, just to feel David's bare chest pressing against my back.

"Shit!" I laughed as I relaxed into him and shook my head.

David chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me properly and rested his chin on my shoulder. "Jumpy much?"

I rested my arms on top of his with a mild grin "I didn't hear you."

He purred "you weren't supposed to" before kissing my cheek and slowly released his hold on me.

I peered over my shoulder and watched him walk to his chair, where he had dropped his black T-shirt before scaring me just then. "Where are the others?"

"Board walk." He pulled on his shirt quickly before turning to face me with his twisted smirk. "They didn't want to listen to us any longer. Apparently sound travels quite well in a cave complex."

I could've died but I settled for blushing bright red instead before turning to grab a clean pair of black jeans, underwear and a Disturbed T-shirt (with 'the guy' looking totally bad ass as always). "Yeah, well, I don't have a mute button so they'd better invest in ear muffs or something."

David laughed as he pulled on his vest and coat "I'll be sure to pass that on" and watched me very closely.

Now I know I shouldn't be embarrassed about getting dressed in front of him, being that he has done so much more than see me naked, but it just felt kinda… weird. I dunno, maybe it was because this all so very new to me, being in a relationship… there is no 'how to behave with your partner for dummies' hand book out there… right? Figuring it was just some subconscious baggage due to my mother and her fucked up boyfriend, I pushed past the discomfort and pulled off my clothes to start getting changed. On pure reflex, I had actually stood mostly front on, keeping my scars out of his line of sight. Just as I was about to pull my new shirt on, David stopped me by holding my hands and looking concerned.

"Why do you do that?" He asked me gently.

I frowned, not understanding the question at all. "Do what?"

"Hide yourself." He took my shirt from my hands and slung it over his shoulder.

"I don't hide myself… unless I'm stalking someone" I grinned, trying to deflect the question and lighten the mood.

"That's not what I meant." He gave me a once over with his eyes, drinking in every detail before gently holding my shoulders and tried to turn me around. I resisted and moved to take a step back. "That's what I was talking about."

I swallowed thickly and looked down. "I don't like my scars. No one likes to see them and I don't want their sympathy if they put two and two together. The scars are in a hard to reach place so not many think they're self-harm or something like that."

"Who gives a shit about what anyone else thinks?" He asked as he tilted my chin up. "I don't despise their sight, so why do you try to hide them from me?"

I stared into his eyes for a while, trying to figure out what possible point he could be trying to make right now… But all I got was a wall… I couldn't even sense his emotions. "I… I don't want you to look at me like I'm some hapless victim… Because that is what they are. A reminder of a time when I was just that. A victim."

I tried to look away but he held my gaze, the look in his eye was so… intense. It was a mixture of anger and grief. But not pity. Thank God it's not pity. "That is not what I see. I see a survivor turned bad assed psycho killer."

I smiled a little as he gently squeezed my shoulders. "Yeah… but you're biased."

He chuckled and tilted his head slightly to the side. "Maybe. But you don't have the victim mentality and your eyes lack the constant state of fear or self-pity."

My smile grew a little as I leaned forward and embraced him, closing my eyes to enjoy the sensation of being held… being comforted… something I haven't experienced from anyone other than him for a very long time. "…Thank you."

David spoke gently as he ran his fingers through my hair. "You're welcome." He leaned back slightly to look into my eyes without breaking the embrace. "No more hiding… ok?"

"No more hiding." I agreed with a nod and pulled out of his embrace.

David tossed my T-shirt onto the couch then stooped low to pick out a low cropped black singlet. It is designed to only show your cleavage, but it also exposed your lower abdomen to the world as well. Without a word, I slipped it on, feeling the fabric fall short of covering some of my scars and did my best to ignore it. David had a point. If I can't feel comfortable in my own skin, how can I expect to feel confident in dealing with people or the world for that matter? He smiled one of his rare genuine smiles before pulling me close for an intimate kiss, the kinda kiss that made even the hardest headed girls swoon… and need a little help standing up afterwards.

Being a gentleman, which didn't seem that odd now, he gave me support by holding my waist and guided me towards the stairs leading outside. "Come on, let's find the guys, get a bite to eat, and get your friend out of the morgue."

"How are we gonna do that?" I asked as I wrapped my arm around the small of his back.

"I have a plan." He grinned broadly with a look of pure madness and mischief in his eyes. The same look he had when we almost took a nose dive over the cliff's edge and when we were playing 'the game'.

'Ooooh whatever he's got planned… I'm gonna like it!' With a smirk that almost rivalled his own I giggled "Ok, I'll bite… what's the plan?

David's P.O.V.

*~Time skip~*

We were surrounded by the never-ending clamour of the panicked cattle that operated this centuries emergency room. The gurney I was currently lying on clashed with every door they decided the run me through while trying to connect me with as many devices as possible. Flashes of bright light burned my eyes but I kept them transfixed, staring straight up into the pristine asylum white ceiling that blended into the walls. Call it an old superstition but I've always hated hospitals. The boys were not far behind me while Elizabeth was running right by my side. And let me tell ya, the girl can act. She wouldn't let anyone try to take her from my side and kept yelling at the nurses to help us.

"Can you tell us what happened!?" yelled one of the nurses as she tried to attach some EKG tags to my chest.

"What are you fucking deaf!? They were in a accident! They… they…" She broke down and cried, speaking way too quickly to be easily understood. "They-were-racing-and-if-you-don't-save-them-i-will-break-your-fucking-neck!"

What's funny is that she probably would. It took quite a bit of effort not to laugh but if any of us broke character this little rouse of ours will be for nothing. I could feel the nurse pressing down on my wrist before yelling above the noise. "I'm not getting a heartbeat! Move it people!"

"What do you mean you can't find a heartbeat!?" Yelled Elizabeth as she grabbed onto the nurse.

"Let go of me! Somebody get her out of here!" Screamed the nurse, undoubtedly terrified of the look in her eye.

I could see a pair of arms wrap around her waist and pulled her back but I had to stay still… keep calm... and trust her to take care of herself. "Get the fuck off me! No! David!"

'Damn she's good man.' Chimed Marko in my head, followed by the others agreeing.

I responded calmly with a mild snicker trying to bubble to the surface. 'Like I said, the girl can act'

'Are you sure she's gonna be ok alone for a while?' Asked Dwayne as we were all wheeled in to the operating theatre.

'The thirst shouldn't really hit her for a few more days. Not the full impact of it anyways.'

Paul butted in to the conversation. 'Yeah but did you take into account that…'

'What?' I just got zapped with the defibulator with the medics continuing CPR. 'Oh! Fuck me!'

'You're not my type man. YAA!' Obviously he just got zapped too.

'Ha ha! Karma's a bitch!' I laughed internally, picturing what his hair looked like and almost laughed out loud.

'Ugh… whatever. Who's idea was this again?'

'Mine.' We were all zapped again but remained 'dead' to the doctors and nurses around us.

'Damn that's weird!' Marko chimed in before stating. 'Hey Paul, you didn't clarify what you meant about Lizzy.'

'Oh yeah, thanks dude. Heh. This is actually kinda fun.'

All of us yelled 'Paul!' at the same time but I continued with 'Stay on track man.'

He sheepishly said 'sorry. What I meant was, did you take into account that she's like you?'

'Oh you mean the whole… blood thirsty psychopath with an insatiable appetite for death and destruction when the mood suits her?' I asked with mild sarcasm.

'Yeah that's about right.' Answered Paul in a kind of sing song voice.

'Yup, I even took a few steps just in case things escalated a little quicker than I anticipated.'

'Smooth'

'It's good to have ya back David' Added Marko, I could even hear the smile in his voice.

I was a tad confused by that. 'Did I leave?'

'In a manner of speaking' Continued Dwayne with a snicker from the others.

'Hang on, what are you on about?' I hadn't gone anywhere other than the spirit world so whatever Dwayne was on about… was figurative and I had little patience for that.

'Well you have been a little out of it dude…' clarified Paul cautiously.

'Out of it…' Internally rolling my eyes.

'Off focus?' He offered.

'Seriously?'

But before I could get any more out of them the doctors stopped dancing on our chests and declared us as dead. About damn time but now we had to make sure we didn't so much as twitch while they bagged and tagged us. While we were being wheeled to the morgue, I heard one of the doctors say "somebody better tell the girlfriend..."

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

The waiting room was the typical kind you see in the hospitals these days. The walls were plastered with info-posters about your health and the services you gotta pay through your nose for. There were several rows of uncomfortable chairs, all taken with people waiting for news for their loved ones with newspapers and magazines scrunched tightly in their hands. There was a never ending buz of communication too. Not just from the people waiting, but from the reception area and the nurses station behind it. Not far from that was the water cooler with those strange cone plastic cups… I never understood the purpose of those cups, their shape was just so weird to me. Back home we had proper Styrofoam cups that could give you a good 200ml drink. Saves you from going back for more five seconds later.

I paced back and forth in the waiting room, doing everything I could to act like the nervous girlfriend of a biker gang member. That meant being aggressive to anyone that approached me, acting tough but in reality, was barely holding it together… it wasn't that hard to pull off… kinda said something for my state of mind. That or I'm more of a psychopath than I initially suspected. Regardless, I maintained my ruse and occasionally thumbed the hipflask currently sitting in the back of my jeans. David had swiped it earlier tonight when he disclosed his plan to the group. I bet the guy he got it from still doesn't know it's missing.

It was filled with David's blood. An emergency stash in case I get hit with the thirst or one of my rage fits. I'm a little sceptical that his blood can bring me back from a psychotic break but… then again… everything about him either excites me beyond words or calms me into the most mellow state I can reach without the aid of narcotics. That reminds me, I still need to get him back for getting me stoned the other night. Cheeky bastard. I looked up, like everyone else, whenever a nurse or a doctor entered the room, and like everyone else I looked away in disappointment when they did not come to speak with me. Eventually a doctor did approach me… cautiously. I already knew what was coming but acted hopeful.

With a strained smile, I asked him. "How are they? Are they ok? Is David ok?"

He took a step back when I invaded his personal space and spoke with a soft, gentle voice. "I'm… I'm so sorry miss, but your friends have expired…"

"Expired?" I asked quietly then yelled "EXPIRED!? WHAT ARE THEY COMODITIES TO YOU!?" I shoved him back and made it look like I was gonna punch him but thought better of it.

"I-I'm sorry!" He stuttered, flinching away from me, raising his hands up to try and placate me.

I point my finger accusingly at him and hissed. "Shut up! You don't care! You are trained to detach yourself emotionally, hence you said expired instead of dead or deceased!" At the end of the sentence I choked up and turned away from him until I could compose myself. "Can… Can I see them?"

"Of course… please… follow me…" He moved to try and take my arm but I ripped it away from him and glared holes through his fragile psyche.

With a shudder, he quickly moved ahead of me and lead me down several corridors until we reached the elevator. We waited patiently until the metallic doors opened and squeezed into the crowded contraption and hit the basement floor. I had never felt so uncomfortable as I did in this bloody elevator. I was sandwiched between the doctor, an orderly and a few other staff I didn't really get a good look at. I swear my heart was beating three times faster and louder than it should have been. It echoed in my head, making the world spin as began to feel faint. This was odd… I don't normally get dizzy spells from my headaches.

The soft ding and the shift in gravity couldn't come soon enough and I quickly darted out of the damn thing and held myself upright against the wall. I covered my mouth and heaved deep breaths as I waited for the world to go back to normal. The heartbeat only seemed to be getting louder and I tried to shake it off. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I moved before I knew what I was doing. I had grabbed his hand, twisted it behind his back and slammed him into the wall. It was the doctor that was guiding me to David and the others. That's when I realized where the heartbeat was coming from.

I quickly let go and backed away from him. "Sorry… reflex…"

"It's ok… they say not to touch people who are… uh.." She paled slightly and backed away so that he was no longer in arms reach.

"Who are what?" I spat, folding my arms in agitation.

He looked around and whispered "under the influence… don't worry, I won't report you…"

I tilted my head and looked confused "what are you on about?"

"You're rather pale… sweating, shaking, your pupils are dilated…" He looked truly concerned "I now it's none of my business but… you really should come off whatever it is you are on…"

I scoffed and wiped away a random tear. You can't come off vampire blood. The very idea was too damn funny but I didn't dare laugh, instead I snapped "you're right. It's none of your business!"

Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and lead me further down the corridor until we reached the morgue. He swiped his key-card into the slot and punched in '7636' into the black keypad. With a beep, the lock disengaged and the doctor opened the door. The whole room smelled of formaldehyde and other chemicals, making my nose crinkle slightly in disgust. I followed him inside and 'accidently' bumped into him, taking the card he had just slipped back into his white coat pocket. He turned in agitation but his expression softened when he saw the freaked out and wrecked look on my face. I kept looking at the metallic doors that hid away the bodies of the recently deceased as if they were about to open and crawl out on their own.

If only he knew just how many lost souls I could sense here…

"This way…" He spoke gently and grabbed the nearby manifest to check and see where the new arrivals had been laid. "uh… when you're ready we will… need you to identify the bodies… "

I followed him and grumbled "don't talk to me right now."

He nods and quickly pulled open one of the freezer doors with a loud clunk. Once open, he pulled out the gurney that held a black plastic body bag. Dry ice seemed to follow the corpse out as the doctor pulled open the zipper, exposing the now very pale face and naked upper torso of Paul. He looked like a sleeping angel. Definitely a life taker and a heart breaker. I had to resist the urge to coo at him while the doctor opened three more gurneys. All of them looked so lifeless but handsome as ever. I stopped by David's side and placed my hand on his chest, sighing sadly as I leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"I'll leave you be… their personal effects are over there. When you're ready just knock on the door and I'll let you out." He had pointed to a nearby metallic table before turning to leave. He stopped when he couldn't feel his key-card in his pocket.

He frowned as he patted himself down and turned back to see me chewing the corner of his card with an evil grin upon my face. "Looking for this?"

"What? How did you… Give that back!" He stepped forward them froze as the boys slowly sat up with a groan, scaring him so badly he turned whiter than a sheet.

I giggled as David nipped my neck and flicked open his body bag, revealing that he was butt naked… as were the others. "Come now, don't act like you've never seen a corpse get up before." I spoke quite darkly "You should never remove the clothes or belongings of the dead. It pisses them off!"

He screamed as the boys pounced on him, feeding and tearing him apart into a bloodied mess. Darkness covered my eyes before I could see much by David's hand before he quickly pulled me into a tight embrace, just as I felt an urge to dash towards the carnage…. I didn't realise my body was moving on its own. "Don't look" he urged as he held me close, stopping me from doing something incredibly stupid.

It took a lot of will power to stay put, even though I tried to pull away. His grip remained true as an insatiable hunger gripped me, then pain in my chest, as though it was on fire. 'Oh God… Is this what he meant by the thirst?' I buried my face into the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around him, shaking from the restraint. His skin was so cold to the touch… so I focused on that.

After a while, the sounds of tearing flesh had ceased and the scent of death was heavy in the air. David still held me close as he spoke. "Do what you can to clean up the mess… then we'll check all the John Doe's here for her friend."

"You got boss!" chimed Marko cheerfully as they got to work.

David gently ran his fingers though my hair then pushed me back to look into my eyes. "Are you ok?"

I nod as I whispered. "Yeah… I'm good." And stepped back so he could slip from the gurney.

His feet touched the ground with a subtle 'pat' and he moved to pull on his clothes. When I looked, the others were already dressed and I marvelled at how men have this magical ability to get dressed so quickly. The boys were laughing as they shoved the extra body parts into separate freezers, using the severed hands to give each other the finger along with other jokes in that nature as they cleaned up the massacre. I looked up when my throat felt too damn parched and spotted the camera staring at all of us.

"Oh… shit." I looked down and pinched my brow.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and asked "what?"

I pointed up without looking, directing their attention to the blasted thing. Paul laughed "don't worry little sista, they can't see us."

"Huh?" I looked up, confused by what he said as he adjusted his leather bracelets.

David slung his now clothed arm over my shoulder and guided me to the mirror above the sterilizing area. "We have no reflection, can't even get our photos taken."

I stared, dumbfounded by the lack of a reflection from David and the others, making them all laugh at the look on my face. What was even weirder was how my own reflection was transparent! I touched my face then touched the mirror, trying to comprehend what my eyes were seeing. "Woah… This is insane…"

David touched my reflection with me, somehow making it shimmer until it replicated the nightmare image that has hounded me for as long as I can remember. It looked different. Paler. Like it was dying. "It can't haunt you anymore."

I looked at him in shock. Just who was the real psychic between us? "How… How did you know?"

He smiled as he took my hand and traced where the deep cut should have left a scar, but flawless skin was all that remained. "I felt it. When this happened. When our blood and our minds were joined, I saw everything in your recent memories but I was too focused on the task at hand to even notice they were there… I'm … learning as I go, y'know?"

After a brief pause, I nod with a smile. I guess coming back from the dead has a habit of bringing something back with you. Be it abilities or a spirit. "Cool…"

He leaned forward and kissed me sweetly on my cheek. "C'mon. Let's find your friend."

David guided me towards the guys as they opened the freezers Dwayne read out to be as 'John Doe's.' One by one they opened the bags to reveal who was inside. Some were elderly, some were young, some were mangled, others were obvious over doses, some had their throats slit… you get the picture. Santa Carla is a dangerous place. For the most part, David and I were able to easily dismiss most of these poor souls, having them pushed back into their temporary crypts as we moved down the line. Eventually we came across a corpse so badly damaged that it took the coroner quite a few stitches to put it back together. He freaken looked like Frankenstein's monster. Robert De-Nero, not Aaron Eckheart.

I hovered my hand above his chest and I could sense Jimmy's essence. His soul had departed, thankfully, so all that remained was an empty shell. With a heavy sigh, I whispered. "This is him… This is Jimmy."

The all stared silently until David spoke up. "Ok. Let's get him onto another gurney, cover him with a sheet and wheel him outta here."

"Won't that stand out a little?" I asked with a smirk. "Four guys and a girl pushing a gurney down the hallway?"

Paul bounced over into a little cubby area then returned with several white lab coats. "Not with these!"

"Paul you're a genius!" laughed Marko as he took one of the coats and pulled it on. "What do ya think?" He held his arms out wide with his usual grin.

"If you close the coat you'd totally pass for a medical student… this could work." I said thoughtfully as I tapped my chin.

"Alright, you heard the lady, close the coats and let's get moving." David spoke as he grabbed two coats and handed one to me.

Paul tossed the last one to Dwayne as we all dressed for our roles and headed out together. I swiped the key-card through the slot and punched in the code while I asked the question that had been bugging me all night. "Hey David… What exactly inspired you to play dead to get in here?"

He shrugged. "I made an educated guess. After seeing all those gizmo's and what-chya-call-it's all over the boardwalk, I figured security would be a little tighter at a hospital. Since they have a lot of chemicals and drugs that would be very profitable on the black market… We'd kinda stand out if we just walked in through the front door."

I walked through and held the door open for Marko and Paul to rush through, splitting up to act as scouts while David and Dwayne guided the gurney through. "We could have just snuck in."

"True, but it's way more fun to mess with people." He grinned as he walked past.

I laughed as I followed him, then jogged ahead to guide everyone back to the elevator. Despite our disguises, we still stood out with our wild haircuts, reminding me that I really need to have a conversation with the gang about their style. They can't stay like this. People will notice and that's a bad thing. We managed to avoid suspicion from the people we passed, though I suspect that was them doing that vampire hypnosis thing, and thankfully we all fit in the elevator together as it went down into the parking basement levels.

"Right… now all we need is a car." I mused aloud until my eyes landed on a hearse. My grin rivalled Marko's as I turned to the gang and asked. "Are you guys familiar with the Adam's family?"

Judging by the wild crazy grins I got from all of them…. I'd say that's a big yes.

...

They sang the theme song for the Adams family the entire trip... The. Entire. Trip... Well accept David. He looked just as annoyed as I was but he let it slide. Probably because he was driving. Paul and Marko were banging a beat they somehow managed to create to go with the song onto the 'roof' of the coffin that came with the hearse. Thankfully it was empty when we found it and it now served as a resting place for Jimmy's corpse. We drove through the streets at a normal-ish speed until we reached the forest road. We pulled over once we were pretty deep into the woods and worked together the drag the coffin out. I know it should be heavy but these guys are supernaturally strong. They made it look easy as we marched deeper into the woods like a proper funeral.

It was quite touching really.

They set the coffin down on the lose soil before Paul, Marko and Dwayne all dashed off somewhere at the speed of light. David stayed next to me but he didn't say a word. Honestly, I wasn't sure how I was feeling right now. I was tired and upset yet I wasn't crying... Odd. I moved to grab two branches and held them together to make a cross. It was actually hurting my hands to hold it like that and I had to fight the urge to throw them away. David looked uncomfortable but he remained perfectly still. This was going to be a pain in my arse.

I put the sticks down and started poking around for something to tie them together with. As I was checking the base of a tree, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see David holding some shoelace in his hand. "Here... use this."

"Where did you find this?" I asked as I took it from him.

He pointed his thumb to his right. I followed his direction to see a skeletal corpse sticking out of the bushes. "My guess, they're a murder victim. Did you want to bury them too?"

I shook my head and kneeled down to tie the sticks together. "Nah, I didn't know them. Do you want to?"

"No." He answered simply, leaning against the tree as he watched me work.

Once the sticks were laced together I checked my boot for my trusty knife. Alarmed that it wasn't there, I patted my pockets down then frowned when I remembered I dropped it in the alley where David and I tried to kill each other. Once more, I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw the ivory hilt shining with the moonlight in David's hand. "you're like a magpie you know that?" I teased as I took it from him.

"Coming from a pick pocket, that really hurts my feelings." He teased with his cocky smirk.

I flicked open the knife and pointed it at him. "Murdering pick pocket."

"My mistake" He grinned. "Murdering pick pocket."

"That's better." I cooed as I carved Jimmy's initials into his makeshift tombstone.

The boys returned with a gust of wind, armed with shovels grabbed from who knows where. Dwayne tossed one to David and stopped me when I tried to take one. "Na ah little sista."

"But.." He held up his hand when I tried to protest.

"Pregnant ladies shouldn't do manual labour." He spoke quite firmly... like he's had to tell someone that before.

When I was about to protest further, David pulled me towards a fallen log and sat me down. "Don't argue with us on this. Please. I don't want to take any risks when we don't have to... ok?"

I sighed and nodded. "Ok... ok you're right... just feels wrong y'know? I'm used to doing everything myself."

"I know." He smiled as he leaned down to kiss my lips before breaking away to help the boys dig.

Once the hole was deep enough, they worked together to lower the coffin into the ground and covered it with the lose dirt. They were pretty quiet through the whole job... which was pretty respectful and surprised me quite a bit. When they were done they were covered in dirt and sweat yet they were not winded like one would expect. I finally got off that damn log and grabbed the cross to drive into the ground. everyone took a step back as I used a shovel to beat it down into the dirt, then stood in front of it, reading the initials. I drove the shovel into the soil and fished out Jimmy's dog tags from my back pocket. With careful hands, I wrapped them around the cross, then allowed them to dangle, capturing the light as they swayed back and forth.

When I couldn't bare to be in front of that cross anymore, a backed away until I stood with the boys, between David and Dwayne. we all stood in silence and stared at my best friends grave. Now I was starting to cry. It started as simple tears and a sniffle as I whispered "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Jimmy..." Then they flowed endlessly.

David pulled me into his chest and held me close as I grieved. No one said a word. No one knew what to say. So it's better not to say anything at all.


	28. Farewell to the past, welcome to the future

David's P.O.V.

After the funeral, we decided to call it a night. None of us were really in the mood to party after all that effort and standing before Elizabeth's cross kinda sapped our strength a little. The ride back was quiet, lacking the loud crazy vibe we all loved and lived for, putting a major downer on all of us. In fact, if it weren't for the tight grip of her arms wrapped around my waist and the constant roar of our collective engines, I would've sworn I was riding alone. I could feel Elizabeth's sorrow through our bond and could even sense guilt, no doubt feeling somehow responsible for that dipshit's death. I'll need to put a stop to that but for now I should probably let her cool off on her own.

Once we were back at the cave, we all wondered down the stairs and congregated in the foyer. Dwayne B-lined for his usual place, making himself comfortable on his couch, surrounded by books, content as always to just sit and read. Paul wondered over to the new rock box and took the time to browse through the tunes. Most of them sucked but he did manage to find some more Metallica tracks for us to chill to before rolling up another joint for himself. Marko had wondered over to what was once the mural for Poseidon, examining it like an artist planning his canvas. I made a mental note to help him find some spray paint tomorrow night so he can work on his craft. Everyone needs a hobby after all… and Elizabeth… she was just standing there, staring into the fire from the oil drum closest to the fountain.

Every once in a while, the boys would cast a glance in her direction but they honestly didn't know how to comfort her right now. This is not normally something we'd feel bad about, y'know, killing some punk who was making a move on one of our own and trying to kill the rest… so it was up to me to try and make things right… it's my fault anyways. With a sigh, I wondered over to stand behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She immediately relaxed into me, which in turn, caused me to relax since she was most definitely not angry with me anymore… merely sad. Personally, I prefer the anger. This solemn expression just didn't suit her.

I gently kissed her pulse, earning a shiver as she rested her arms on top of mine, before resting my chin on her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?" I murmured into her ear.

Elizabeth reached back and gently held my cheek, turning her face just enough so she could see me. "Yeah…. Just gimme some time…"

She yawned suddenly and let go of my cheek to rub her eye instead. "You're tired. Why don't you get some shut eye?"

"Yeah…" She sighed before continuing "sleep sounds good."

"I'll be with you soon. It's too early for me and I need to discuss a few things with the guys as well."

Elizabeth slowly leaned out of my grip and walked towards the tunnel entrance. She smiled over her shoulder and waved to everyone. "No worries David. G'night guys. Thanks for everything…"

"It was no problem Liz." Called Marko with a small smile of his own.

"Really, it was the least we could do." Echoed Paul as he followed her to the tunnel and held the barricade open for her. Dwayne had nod quietly and waved good night as well.

Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and looked rather solemn but to her credit she didn't cry again. She stared at the ground and nod slightly as she spoke. "Well… I appreciate it all the same."

With that, she turned and entered the tunnel complex, trusting Paul to close the 'door' behind her. I sighed and rubbed my face, scruffing up my hair a little as I dropped into my wheelchair. Paul took a drag from his joint before asking "So wassup David?"

"Yeah, what did you need to talk to us about?" Asked Marko as he dropped down from the ledge and parked his butt on what's left of the fountain. Dwayne also marked his page and looked up to pay attention.

I wriggled in my chair until I felt comfortable and leaned slightly to the side, thinking long and hard on just what I was going to say. They waited. Patiently until I finally spoke up. "With… With Elizabeth being pregnant and the baby on the way… I'm thinking we may need to reconsider our living conditions."

Elizabeth's POV

I felt pretty damn waisted by the time I reached our room. Heh. Our room. This place will always earn a smirk, no matter how messed up I'm feeling. Here I was ambushed and here is where everything changed. I sighed as I closed the door gently behind me and took my time peeling all my clothes off, tossing them into a pile with my boots and knife placed on top before crawling under the sheets. It's too damn hot for the blanket with the pillows acting as insulation. Still, at least it was comfortable.

My eyes drooped as soon as my head hit the ground but sleep eluded me. I couldn't stop thinking about Jimmy. He was a damn fool to fight David toe to toe… But I guess he thought he'd fare better than most, being a soldier and all. I felt terrible that he had died because of me but most of all I felt confused. How could he have had any feelings for me? He never really knew 'me'… only an illusion of me. A front that I created so that I could hide in plain sight. But the best lie is told with ninety percent truth… I suppose in a weird way he did kinda know me… but that had a weird consequence. Even when we hung out I always had to stay on guard. Had to make sure I laughed when something was funny, pretend to give a damn when someone was hurt, other than Jimmy or myself. Despite working together, I always felt so alone.

'No. I was right the first time. He never really knew me. And the poor bastard paid the ultimate price for his gallantry.'

With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and rolled onto my side, trying to will myself to sleep. I must have dozed off slightly because I suddenly felt an arm curl around my waist and gently pulled me into a firm, naked chest. I knew it was David, somehow recognising his… scent. My mind seemed to be processing things a little differently now, but nothing to worry about. At least not yet. I could feel his breath gently on the back of my neck, making the goose bumps rise a little but I made no move to show I was awake.

He murmured in a low, quiet voice "faker", teasing me gently with a hint of amusement.

Despite myself I giggled and rolled over so I could face him, causing him to adjust his grip on me as I moved. "How could you tell?"

"Your heart is beating is too quickly for you to be asleep." He smiled as he gently traced my cheek with a feathered touch.

I smirked and drew circles into his chest with one hand as the other was curled under my chin. "So when I turn you won't be able to tell?"

"Oh, I'll know" He smiled at this as his eyes lit up with laughter.

"How?" I frowned, not believing him although I know I should.

He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly but they continued to hold their amusement as he whispered "magic."

"With a K?" I teased without missing a beat, grinning brightly.

He chuckled "yes" and flicked my nose for being cheeky.

"Ow." I pouted and reached within the limited space between us so I cold rub the sting away. "So… what did you need to talk to the guys about?"

He sighed and rolled onto his back, taking the small amount of warmth that had generated between us with him and folded his arm behind his head. "Just a few things to think about."

"Like what?" I asked as I curled up into him, resting my cheek upon his chest.

David wrapped his arm around me and glanced out of the corner of his eye. "Living arrangements… like maybe moving or… renovate the cave to make it a little more… child friendly." He paused for a moment when I frowned then quickly added "I was going to bring this up with you tomorrow or after you had some time to grieve… They say you shouldn't make huge life altering changes after a loss…"

"Yeah…" I lowered my gaze and sighed. "coz you're not thinking straight… I get it."

"Yeah…" He looked away and frowned slightly, going very quiet all of the sudden.

I could sense his concern and closed my eyes to truly focus on his aura. I followed the hint of the emotion and felt his inner turmoil. It was… intense. His thoughts were so deep and brooding, multi tasking like you wouldn't believe. I was having trouble following them until I locked onto a surface thought. 'How can she stand to be anywhere near me? I royally fucked up… hurt her. Said shit I didn't mean. Killed someone she owed a life debt to… her best friend… Will she leave me? She has every right to… in fact. By rights, she should have killed me by now…'

His expression hardened as his thoughts turned darker, making his expression unreadable as his mind drifted further away. I didn't like his train of thought. I could follow his logic and it was sound. He did not need to beat himself up over this. He needed to understand, that despite everything I would never leave him… because I love this crazy bastard. I love how dark he is, I love how psychotic and fucked up he is. I love his laugh, his smirk, the way he looks at you before he kills you, the way he looks at me… the way he makes me feel safe, welcome, wanted… needed. He needs to know this. But how can I show him?

I frowned as I thought about it, then the most basic thought occurred to me. Intimacy is meant to solidify a bond, right? With that in mind, I gently reached out and tilted his face towards me, forcing him to look at me as I leaned up to kiss him gently. He seemed surprised by this for his lips did not respond and his expression remained the same. I cupped his face and deepened the kiss as I moved to straddle his waste. This caused him to move his arm from behind his head, dropping back slightly as he flinched and grabbed my hips to make sure I didn't fall off. He still wasn't kissing me back and that was beginning to annoy me.

I bit his lip. Hard. Hard enough to make him bleed and earned a muffled yelp in surprise. His mouth opened on reflex and it was my turn to take advantage of that. My tongue slithered inside his mouth, tasting his blood as I coaxed his tongue to come out and play. His blood… it sent a jolt of pleasure and excitement to all the right places, driving me to be rougher and grip his hair into a very tight grip. My mouth began to hurt a little but I didn't care because now he was beginning to kiss me back.

He groaned as he finally responded, sliding his hands along my back while we made out, biting me in return so we could taste each other's blood… somehow that amplified everything. I was literally aching with need, desperate for a release. We were grinding our hips together, my juices running, coating his base as I felt him harden beneath me. I didn't realize I had closed my eyes to enjoy the sensations until I opened them to see a vampiric David. This face never frightened me… but this time… for some reason… I found this to be very attractive, This is him. This is David. I broke the kiss so I could trace his features, staring into his eyes, trying to expressed how I truly felt for him to see.

I think he did.

The expression in his eyes changed into adoration. He panted as he stared back, leaning into my touch with a sigh before leaning up to kiss me again. I could feel his tongue curl around my canines and that's when I realised they had grown. That's why my mouth hurt earlier. I broke the kiss again and reached to touch my mouth, feeling how sharp they were with a look of surprise and confusion upon my brow. I quickly touched my cheeks but they felt normal… I guess this early in the halfway stage doesn't have such drastic changes at first.

David gently took my hand and pulled me to lay across his chest again. Staring with hooded eyes as he reached and used his nail to cut his throat. My eyes locked onto the deep crimson substance and it took quite a bit of effort to look back into his eyes. He smiled as he purred "bite me."

I didn't want to hurt him but it was like I was in some kind of trance, leaning closer to the small wound, scenting his very essence before licking the blood from his skin. The thirst was over powering and before I knew it, I had latched onto his neck. My new fangs punctured his flesh like a hot knife through butter, moaning with how damn good it tastes! It was him. I could taste him… I could feel him. Our minds linked as he moaned in pleasure, his entire body shivered and could feel he was solid and throbbing with need. I moaned as I drank from him, too caught up in the moment to notice he had gripped my hips and lifted me slightly until he brought me roughly down onto his cock.

I ripped away from his throat to sit up with a yell of pleasure. He was so damn deep! I could feel him deep inside, filling me completely, stretching me to accommodate his girth. It hurt so good. Then he thrust himself, groaning as he lifted me and pushed me back down, guiding me with how to move from this position, feeling him hit my cervix with every bounce. My head was practically swimming with pleasure overload. I followed his lead and soon didn't need his help to maintain his pace, so he released my hips and trailed his hands along my body until they reached my breasts.

He squeezed and fondled them as I leaned forward and braced myself against his waist, riding him roughly as we pushed each other to our release. The bloodlust made the orgasm last forever as I felt his seed explode inside of me… God… I wanted more. And that's exactly what I got. We switched positions so that he was now on top, resting my legs on his shoulders as he gripped my hips again. A fierce look of determination was on his face as he thrust back inside me, spilling his cum everywhere as he fucked me through the damn floor. He seemed determined to make me cum repeatedly and he made damn sure I came before he did by rubbing my clitoris roughly to the point where I was seeing stars.

After who knows how long and our energy was completely spent, we crashed back into the ground, panting heavily and covered in sweat. David removed himself from me and laid on his side, watching me closely as I tried to catch my breath. Once I could see straight again I rolled onto my side and curled into him, kissing his pulse, then his lips, then pushed him onto his back so I could use his chest as a pillow. He chuckled as he curled his arm around me again and reached to pull over a sheet to cover us… just in case we were walked in on or something.

He held me close in both of his arms, sighing contently before kissing my forehead. I smiled as my eyes drooped closed and whispered. "I forgive you."

I could feel his smile against my forehead as he held me just that little bit tighter. The sense of relief just flowed from him, making him relax completely at last. He whispered "thank you" before I fell asleep.

David's POV

'Damn that was sexy!'

I watched her sleep as my thoughts continued to try and process what just happened. She had never been this forward before, not sexually but then again this is all still quite new for her and I gotta admit, I like her being a little bossy. I grinned as I gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, still buzzing from the rush and seriously enjoying the challenge to my authority. If she really wanted to… she could lead the pack. But I don't sense that from her. Which is a relief because if she willed it to be so, I can't actually say 'no' to her. I should probably talk to her about this but I'm still not so sure I want her to know yet.

Dude… I still have serious trust issues.

She forgave me… I'm ecstatic to know this but I can't seem to bring myself to completely trust her. Which is not fair since I am encouraging her to be open with me. And when our minds linked… I saw, I felt how she feels. I know she won't leave. I know this for a fact. I can't believe she… she really feels that way about me. How did I get so damn lucky? To find a mate, my mate, that is so much like me that she can understand me? To forgive my darkness? For fuck's sake, I ripped her best friend apart right in front of her and she's all cool with it?

I shook my head. This needs to change. I have to tell her everything. If not for us, for our kid. 'Oh man… I can't believe I am going to be a father. I am NOT 'dad' material. What the hell am I going to do?'

I guess I'll be having a long chat with Dwayne about all this. He's the expert out of all of us when it comes to parenting and kids but… it's a sensitive subject and it always will be. I frowned as my mind drifted back to when he was human. What happened to him. Why he turned. But I shook it off. That is his story to tell and he'd much rather leave that buried. Hopefully, with a kid in the pack again, Dwayne will come out of his shell. He wears a smile but I can feel his pain. I know him too well for him to hide that from me. Granted, he has been genuinely happy with Elizabeth, more talkative too. She has, a positive effect on us all.

So many new possibilities… I have absolutely no idea with what to expect with the future. That is both exciting… and unnerving. Hmph. Being a head vampire sucks. I always worried about everyone before but this… this is a whole new level… a shit load more responsibility. Maybe everything will be a little clearer in the evening. Yeah… I'm just overtired. A lot has happened in this past week… almost two weeks and with Elizabeth being so badly hurt I really didn't get much sleep. The dawn had finally arrived and the curse of the sun forced my mind to shut down and succumb to slumber.

…

I'm surrounded by fog. Its dull grey seemed to seep into everything, making the environment monotone… almost like a film negative but not quite. Since it's so damn thick I can't see past my nose, I'll assume I'm back in the spirit world. But it does not have that persistent, oppressive feeling of dread that usually permeates from that place so… maybe it's just a fog. Somehow, I know it's daytime so again, this place does not make any sense.

I can hear something in the distance, something creaking with a repetitive rhythm, like an old swing that really needs the hinges to be greased up again. There was also children's laughter coming from the same direction so headed that way. Why the hell not? As I approached the source of the sound, I found myself walking into an old playground. There was a sandpit with plastic spades sticking out of the ground, next to a broken bucket, a seesaw, slide, some kinda jungle gym and a swing set.

There were three children playing on the swings. I wasn't close enough to see who they were yet but I could tell that a boy was pushing a girl on one swing while another boy swung on the other from their laughter alone. This boy was standing on his swing and jumped off when he saw me. He ran towards me and I immediately recognized the little Indian boy I hadn't seen in a really long time. In fact, I only met him twice… he wasn't alive the second time. The poor kid was only five years old.

"Mr Sutherland!" His long dark brown hair flicked with every hurried step he took, just like his father as he charged at me. I wasn't expecting the tackle hug, but I was quick to catch him and brought him back to the ground quickly, squatting beside him.

"Hey Chavez. Is your mother around?" I asked him, wondering why he was alone… even if he was a ghost.

"She's over there." He pointed to where the benches for parents were placed, showing his mother, whom looked like a traditional Navaho woman, sitting patiently with a firm, patient expression on her face.

She nods in greeting, which I returned before focusing on the boy in front of me. "What are you doing here?"

"Playing with my new friends. They can't stay here long but I know they can play with my daddy soon so that's ok. We'll go back to the bright place when they leave." He smiled as he took my hand and led me towards the children on the swings.

It was weird that he wasn't scared of me anymore but I felt compelled to just let him lead me, so I followed without any fuss. "Where is here, by the way?"

He hummed as he thought about it. "Umm… I think it's a sanctuary. The girl knows. She's pretty smart with this stuff."

"Does the girl have a name?" I asked sarcastically as we reached the swings.

"Not yet." He giggled then waved the children over. 'Guys! Meet Mr Sutherland! He's my daddy's best friend!"

Now that I was closer I could see the mystery children. They both supported a head of platinum blonde hair. The boy's hair almost looked like a mop that desperately needed a trim. The girl's, was quite long, reaching the base of her back. They were both dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, matching clothes. The boy pulled the swing to a stop, allowing the girl to hop off as they ran together in almost perfect synchronisation. They stopped just in front of me, looking up to show two pairs of grey eyes… Elizabeth's eyes… Filled with mirth and mischief.

They grinned together but it was the girl that spoke first "Hi daddy!"

That… That was the voice that pulled my mind and showed me where to find Elizabeth when the Mistress had her. I had dropped to my knees and shivered at just how creepy this was. "I… uh… hi."

They giggled. The cheeky little shits giggled as the girl… my daughter held her hands behind her back and twisted herself back and forth on the spot while my… son folded his arms and smirked. He spoke with a very familiar pattern. "We knew you'd be surprised…"

"… but not speechless." Finished my daughter. They are twins. Psychically connected twins.

I looked to Dwayne's son and he just smiled that bright smile only happy kids can pull. I guess the bright place was good for him. With a frown, I turned to my kids to see my daughter whisper into her brother's ear. He nods as she leaned back and took a step forward. "You won't see us again, not until we're born. We only have enough strength to say hello to mommy."

"But… how are you even here in the first place?" I asked, feeling way more confused by the second.

"Umm…" He looked to his sister and she shrugged in response. "Your guess is better than ours."

"But you have to go now daddy." Finished the girl as she stepped forward.

I was about to say something when her eyes began to glow and she reached to touch my forehead. I looked to Chavez but he just waved goodbye as my world turned black.

…

I woke up with a start, bolting upright as I fought to stop myself from shaking. The surprised yelp from Elizabeth, reminded me that she was still in my arms and I had pulled her up with me. "What!? What is it?"

"Oh shit… sorry… weird dream…" I dropped back but Elizabeth stayed sitting up, rubbing her eyes then looked at me like I was nuts.

"Weird dream? It couldn't have been weirder than mine." She laid down next to me and snuggled into my side.

I held her close and fixed the sheet to cover us properly before rubbing my eyes. "What did you dream about?"

"You first" she mumbled, almost asleep again.

I paused for a while before answering "I dreamed about our kids."

"Wow… me too… and a little boy… I don't know who he is…" She didn't quite finish her sentence and soon fell asleep.

I don't think it's quite registered that we have shared a dream or that she is having twins. But I do know one thing. I need to tell Dwayne that he can visit his family in this 'Sanctuary'… wherever it is.

Elizabeth's POV

I woke with that weird arse dream still fresh in my mind. Two little angels with bright grey eyes and platinum blonde hair. They were playing with a little Indian boy… he couldn't have been older than six or seven… but the more I tried to focus on the dream, the further it seemed to drift away. I hate those dreams. They feel so real and very important, but they disappear, as if you never dreamed them in the first place. I had a theory once, that these kinda dreams are breaching the boundaries of reality… like you're not meant to have them.

Still. The dream I can no longer recall, left me with an odd need to reach out and sense the life growing within. With my eyes still closed, I followed the channel that was within myself, focusing on my womb and smiled when I could feel them. Them. My eyes popped open when it clicked. I am… carrying twins. David was still asleep so I grabbed his arm and shook him roughly, snapping him awake then grabbed his hand to place it against my womb.

"What?" He asked, alarmed with being woken up like that, then confused with having his hand pressed against me. With his vamped out form it's quite an… intimidating yet amusing expression.

"Twins!" I blurted out. My emotions running a mile a minute. Surprise, fear, confusion, and… joy? It's mostly fear though.

He sighed and relaxed, then gently traced his fingers along my belly while his face morphed back into his human form. "I know."

"How?" I frowned, squirming a little since his gentle touch was tickling me.

It was his turn to frown as he spoke. "We dreamed about it. Remember?"

I paused for a moment then shook my head. "It's fuzzy… no I don't remember."

"Hmm… That should change eventually." Then leaned to kiss me sweetly. "Don't worry about it."

I nod then suddenly didn't feel so food. I felt nauseous, and pulled myself to sit up, holding my hand over my mouth as I fought the sudden need to vomit. David sat up too, looking concerned but before he could ask me what was wrong, I had stumbled to my feet and was out the door. I was about to make a dash for the lobby, but a firm grip on my arm yanked me further down the hallway and I was lead to a rundown bathroom. The bathtub looked like someone had a go at it with a sledge hammer but it was pretty big and probably pricey. Beside it was a cracked, dirty, busted toilet and that's all I cared about.

There was no lid to lift up so I grabbed the sides and hurled up a mixture of blood and pre-digested food down the bowl. David gently pulled my hair out of my face and rubbed my back as I continued to empty my stomach. I could hear a collective "What's wrong?" as three voices spoke over each other but all stopped suddenly when David told them to "Piss off". I was feeling to lousy to be nice about this so I didn't chide him for being a prick. I wanted them to go away too.

"Woah uh.. yeah sorry" laughed Paul as he grabbed Marko half-awake state and bolted down the corridor. Dwayne lingered slightly then walked away.

After another hurl from me, I could hear fabric being moved about then felt a coat being draped over my shoulders. David sighed "Thanks Dwayne." And resumed keeping me steady while I panted and rested my head against my arms. This is gonna be a pain in the butt to clean.

"No problem." Answered Dwayne as he moved to walk away.

I looked up to see that David had also been given his pants and currently had them draped over his shoulder. "Hey Dwayne…" Dwayne stopped and looked back to David while he thought about what to say next. "I gotta talk to you about something later. It's important."

He nods before walking away. I sighed and leaned back onto my knees, holding my stomach and my head as another wave of nausea hit me. "Talk about what?"

"Something we saw in the dream. Are you ok?" He asked as he moved my hand to feel my forehead.

I felt a little better but damn that sucked. "Yeah… I'm fine. I don't have a fever. Must be morning sickness."

He snickered slightly and helped me to my feet before moving to pull his pants on. "Sucks to be you."

I hit him once he was off balance, making him hop and stumble a little while I laughed. "Nope, it sucks to be you."

"Woah easy there!" He laughed then managed to pull on his pants properly.

I sighed as I looked at the mess and pulled on his jacket to make myself decent. "Let me guess… The plumbing doesn't work."

"Nope." He leaned against the wall and folded his arms, doing a damn fine job at ignoring the smell.

"So why'd you let me throw up here?" I frowned again then pinched my nose. "Damn that's gnarly."

He shrugged then leaned off the wall and lead me back to our room. "Kinda figured you'd be embarrassed by running past the guys to get outside. We overslept."

I blushed at the thought of the others seeing me as naked as a jay bird, throwing my guts up for all to see. At least here they wouldn't have seen much. "Thanks."

I stumbled inside and started to pull on my own clothes, giving back David's jacket once I was done. I really needed a shower and I was seriously craving some cotton candy of all things. And something to drink… Ah the joys of being pregnant. I shook my head with a smile and headed for the lobby. Once there, the guys seemed to be making an extra effort to avoid eye contact with me, all standing around the oil drum next to the surfboards. Either they were trying to be respectful or they were bummed out for being told to piss off. Either way, the awkward silence was not welcome.

"Chill guys. I'm ok… and you've seen me naked before so it's no worries, right?" I grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Uhh… not really Lizzy. Heh." Paul bashfully looked my way and rubbed the back of his head. "David made sure to keep you decent whenever we patched you up."

I looked to David for confirmation, to which he nods so I looked back to the boys and laughed. "So now you're embarrassed from seeing me… or not really seeing me naked? And being sick?" They all looked to each other, then nod in unison. I shook my head and walked past them, heading for my bag. "You guys are weird."

They laughed and relaxed, all moving to sort through their gear while David and Dwayne stood close to the exit. They were speaking quietly to each other so I guessed this was a private conversation. I fished through my bag to find my tooth brush, tooth paste, towel and soap, then used the towel to bundle it up like a satchel. Once ready I headed towards David and Dwayne but was stopped by Marko. He looked concerned so I followed him as he leads me to the fountain.

"Are you sure you're alright Liz?" He asked as he sat down.

I sat next to him and rubbed my eyes, still feeling a little messed up but was fine. "I'm ok Marko… It's just morning sickness."

"How long does that last?" He looked so worried. It was cute. I almost teased him for it but instead I smiled.

"I don't really know. Maybe for the first trimester? I'll have to look it up."

"Hmm. Maybe there's like a pregnancy book in town? We can hit the book store and see what's what."

I laughed and shook my head. "It'd be faster to brows the net. We should hit the library and use the computer.

"Woah woah woah. Hold up." Paul piped up from his corner and jumped down next to me, so I was now between him and Marko. "Since when could people use the internet? Didn't you have to have access to one of those super computers, like at a university or something?"

I stared at him for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. I was laughing so damn hard I almost fell into the pit and I would have had Marko and Paul moved a little slower. Marko couldn't help but laugh at Paul for he really looked confused before asking "What on Earth is so damn funny?"

"Oh God…" It took a while for me to calm down. After a few breaths, I managed to sigh "I have SO much to catch you guys up on." And shook my head.

I looked up to see Dwayne shaking his head no to David, looking pretty freaked out, then sad. David was holding his shoulder and asked "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Dwayne nods and stared at the ground. I couldn't catch what he said but their conversation had been interrupted by my manic laughter. They both looked my way and spoke quietly to each other again before walking over to us. David cocked his head slightly as he spoke "What's going on?"

I looked to Dwayne but he was still staring at the ground, so I glanced at everyone before summoning my best showman voice. "Come one, come all to Elizabeth's school of the 21st century!" I stood to my feet then jumped onto the ledge so that I was taller than everyone else here for once. "A place where the internet is always at your fingertips, where there are portable computers, small enough to fit in your very hand, where music has become digital, where a gigabyte is too damn small and everybody is into a fandom of some kind or are a gamer".

"Bull shit" Called David, not believing a word I said. Paul and Marko laughed in agreement while Dwayne finally looked up with a smile.

"I shit you not my dear David." I cooed as I bounced down from the ledge. "Paul, do you still have that phone?"

Paul patted his pockets down, pulling out a bag of weed here, a joint there, until he found the phone in his back pocket. He handed it to me as he said "here."

I took it and activated the screen, seeing it only had about 2% battery power left and mumbled "damn it needs to charge." I looked up and smiled before continuing. "Now Paul, you managed to find the camera on here... How'd you do that by the way?"

He shrugged and looked a little sheepish again "I just pushed a bunch of buttons and it started recording what I was aiming at."

I nod then continued. "Well… According to modern standards… This mobile phone, or cell phone, is actually quite old."

"Woah…." Paul and Marko leaned closer, almost squishing their heads together to get a closer look at the phone.

Marko took the phone from my hand and waved it above his head "So you're saying that there is more advanced stuff than this?"

"Yup." I smiled at their collective looks of befuddlement.

Finally, Dwayne spoke up as David took the phone and examined it carefully. "So what else is out there?"

I shook my head and smiled "It's be easier if I showed you guys and explained as I go. But first. We gotta talk about your look."

He pointed to himself, looking a little shocked "mine?"

"All of you." I pointed to Dwayne then panned to point to everyone.

"What's wrong with our look? It's bitchen!" pouted Paul as he folded his arms defensively.

As much as I loved their look I just knew it won't fly these days. Well… aw hell you know what I mean. "Yes they are, but they just won't work nowadays. I mean. This is THE place to pull off an edge look but seriously. Marko." He looked at me, almost afraid to hear what I had to say. "Lose the chaps. And the singlet? Look, either wear no shirt or cover your stomach. Showing your belly kind makes you look… well…"

"What?" He asked.

"Gay." I bit my lip as Paul started laughing his ass off.

"Aw man…" Marko rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the ground. Then he looked up with hope in his eyes. "But I can keep the jacket right?"

"I wouldn't dream of depriving you of that master piece." I smiled as he relaxed a little. "Oh but one other thing." He looked worried again until I directed my attention to David, pointing to him, them Marko. "Mullets died in the eighties guys. You're gonna have to ditch the tails."

"What? Aw c'mon!" Marko pouted again then sat down. "It took me forever to grow this…"

David had long since handed the phone to Dwayne and frowned. "Really?" To which I nod. He huffed and whipped out his cigarettes again. "Bummer. What about the rest of me?"

I folded my arms and mulled it over, thinking long and hard. "No… stubble and spikes are still in. Can't go wrong with all black… and since we're a gang, being politically correct is not high on our agenda so no need to hide the cross… maybe lose the waist coat?"

He shrugged and glanced at his medal. "Politically correct huh…?" He lit himself up and watched me closely.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Look I'm probably biased since I'm not like everyone else… But we live in an age where the truth is watered down because people are too damn sensitive to handle it."

"Get the fuck out!" He coughed on his smoke then laughed. "You're serious?"

I nod then laughed "Yup. It's really easy to offend people now and only the people who grow up on the streets or the roughest parts of the world know how to fight. Bullies can walk all over you, even if they beat you up. The system is screwed because the people let social workers rule the world." I shook my head then looked to Paul and Dwayne. "Anyways, I'm off track."

"Damn, I was hoping to avoid the fashion appraisal." Laughed Paul as he shuffled on his feet.

I smiled then gave him a once over. "Ok… fishnets are normally associated with goths and punks so I dunno about your shirt. I mean, really I'm not an expert in fashion, I'm just picking out the stuff that's really obvious. But your hair needs to be cropped back. Super long hair usually stands for Heavy Metal and that does not go with your current outfit."

Paul nods but looked a little bummed out. I quickly waved my hands in front of me and stuttered. "Guys your looks rock! I love your looks! They just won't work as they are. With a few minor tweaks, you guys will be the hottest crew on the boardwalk. Honest!"

Their cheeky smiles crept across their faces, making me wanna throw something at them for making me feel bad before turning my attention to Dwayne. He stood as though he was facing down a challenge and it was very hard for me to keep a straight face. "You know what Dwayne… You can get away with your look due to your heritage."

"Yes!" He did a low fist pump then pointed to Marko and Paul. "Ha! In your faces!"

"Douchebag!" Yelled Paul, to which Dwayne flipped him the bird.

"Let's get him!" Yelled Marko as they both tackled Dwayne at the speed of light. He almost made it out of the cave before they caught him and they proceeded to rough each other up.

David extinguished his cigarette as he walked pass the wresting group and offered his hand to me. I took it and walked hand in hand towards the bikes, getting ready to go to town to freshen up and to give the boys a crash course to the advancement of technology.


	29. Welcome to the family

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

The trip to the boardwalk was as lively as it usually was. Everyone seemed to be in an excellent mood now and that was fine by me. While the other boys pulled all kinds of stunts on their bikes, David seemed to be taking extra care to make sure we didn't so much as hit a dip or a bump, making the ride quite cruisy for me. I never would have guessed that he could be so thoughtful, despite always doing the little things that you just don't see these days. He is from a different time period after all. I couldn't help but snuggle into him and breathe in his scent, it just made me feel so at ease. Thankfully, my stomach seemed to have settled down at last and I could truly feel relaxed.

When we finally arrived to the area we always seem to park, I couldn't help but stare at a Block Buster video store. I had been staring so intently at it that I'd barely noticed that David had dismounted and was in the process of helping me off his bike. His contact caused me to flinch and direct my attention back to him, making him pause his movement slightly and gave me a concerned look. I shook my head with a smile and held his arm as I hopped off his bike. Again, I found myself staring at the video store and couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow familiar… like how the cave felt familiar now. It was difficult to explain.

Suddenly, David's hand waved in front of my face, causing me to blink and look at him as he frowned. "Where's your head at babe?"

I smirked and shrugged my shoulders before motioning towards the movie rental store across from us. "I dunno. Was just getting a weird vibe from this place."

"What kinda vibe?" Asked Paul as he bounced into my side, which made me bounce into Marko, whom I didn't realize was there AND almost knocked him over. "Ow... sorry Marko."

"All good!" He grinned but was also waiting for my answer. David was also giving Paul one of his glares that made him mumble 'sorry'.

I scratched the back of my head and frowned. "Well… the place feels familiar somehow. Like the cave."

"You're sensing our territory." Answered Dwayne as strode over to our group.

"Territory?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah." David was lighting up yet another cigarette for himself. The man really was a chain smoker. "See, this used to be our sire's property. Different name at the time of course but it's ours by blood."

I noticed they didn't bother to mention who their sire was and sure enough my curiosity was piqued. "Your old sire got a name?"

"Sure. The prick doesn't deserve to be remembered though." He blew the smoke away from me and cast his gaze at the store.

I can respect that. I never use my mother's name. Won't even bother to put it in her obituary when the time comes. "Ok… but how can this be your territory if you don't own the building?"

"The same way animals own a territory. You stake your claim and defend it. Minus the piss of course." David smirked and we all barked out a laugh. The mental image of the boys pissing on the back of the store was just too good and I wouldn't be surprised if they really did that to agitate the sire they obviously hated.

After a few attempts to stop laughing, slightly hunched over from the effort, I was finally able to ask "Well what's the benefit of having another territory?"

David was still smirking as he flicked the ash from his smoke. "Well it's an emergency crash shelter if you're caught in the dawn. You don't need to be invited onto your own territory, even if someone else owns the property, we own the land. So we're at full strength no matter what we do."

My lips twisted slightly to the side as I processed the rules of vampirism. "So… Do you need to be invited to get into someone's house?"

"It helps." Answered Marko while the others nod in agreement.

"We can barge in but it's dangerous." Answered David. "You see. If you allow a vampire into your home, it renders your powerless. It means we can use our abilities, have a reflection, immune to holy water. That sorta thing. But if we enter, uninvited. Well… We're vulnerable to their defences."

"Huh. Ok. So is that the same for all vampires?" I asked, trying to get my head around the facts.

"Nah little sista." Paul shook his head no. "That's the rules for us."

"Different vamps got different rules. All depends on what breed you are and how the ancestor of that breed became the first of their kind." Finished David as he dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped on what was left of it.

I nod slowly, accepting the interesting facts about vampirism then offered a smile. "Thanks for the history lesson.

"Anytime." Smiled David.

"So." Clapped Marko, getting everyone's attention. "What are we doing first?"

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna go freshen up." I motioned towards the public restrooms on the other side of the market area, close to the main beach. "Then grab a bite to eat."

"That sounds like a great idea." Grinned Paul as he eyed a hot blonde that was practically screaming sex on legs as she cruised past us with her troop of girlfriends. She flashed him a smile and blushed slightly, then quickened her pace.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the games people play as Marko slung his arm around Paul's shoulder and cooed. "I wouldn't put that in my mouth Paul. Don't know where it's been!"

"I know where it hasn't been small fry!" Teased Paul right back as he jabbed Marko in the ribs and took off after the blonde.

Marko flinched with the jab then took off after Paul, yelling "Oh you are so going down!"

David pinched his brow then turned to Dwayne, casting a weary glance. "Remind them meet back here after they've had their fun."

Dwayne nods with a half-smile and jogged after the hyper pair, leaving the two of us behind. I tilted my head slightly to the side and asked "you're not going with them?"

He shook his head no and slipped his arm around my waist, guiding me to walk with him as he navigated through the crowd. "I'll eat later."

I chuckled and leaned into his side a little, holding the small of his back. "David. Are you worried about me?"

"You?" He seemed to be mulling it over, about to dismiss it but then looked dead serious. "I'm always worried about you."

"Aww" I cooed at him, pouting my lips and teasing him mercilessly. "You think this big mean crowd is too dangerous for me?"

He laughed a genuine laugh and shook his head, grinning down at me. "Hell no! I think my big mean girlfriend is too dangerous for the crowd."

I laughed this time and shoved him slightly, barely nudging him off balance as he pulled me even closer. "Give me a little credit David. I've got SOME self-control." The very thought that he had officially named me his girlfriend just made my night.

He kissed my forehead affectionately then focused on navigating the crowd, deliberately leaving my statement unanswered. Most people got out of our way, but some young jerks like to think they're tough and try to push their way between us. I mean, who in their right mind tries to shove their way between a couple? Well, a solid open palmed shove from David is enough to send anyone flying onto their arse and people soon got the message. Stay away from us.

Eventually, we made it to the restrooms and David stood outside while I went in to take care of business. The loo was absolutely disgusting. Like. When was the last time this bloody thing was cleaned? The neighbouring cubicles weren't much better and were in use so I had to make the most of things. Nothing a cold shower wouldn't fix in a few minutes anyways. Once done, I set up my satchel of toiletries on the grimy sink, wiped a clean spot on the public mirror and got to work with scrubbing my hands. My teeth were next, requiring a very thorough brush thanks to the puke fest I had earlier this evening.

Once done, I bundled my items up back into my towel and made my way outside. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw some teenage brunette trying to chat up MY David. She was cute I suppose, wearing way too much makeup, bikini and board shorts with her wavy hair wisping in the wind. She was smiling that flirtatious smile, curling a lock of her hair between her fingers, looking at David with big, doughy eyes, fluttering her fake lashes…. Completely oblivious to the fact that he was ignoring her. My blood boiled at the sight before my eyes.

"So what are you doing around here?" She asked with that damn smile of hers.

David merely glanced in her direction before staring into the crowd. "Waiting for my girl."

"Aw. Too bad for her." She cooed as she closed the distance between them. "She ain't here."

David had then looked down at her with his rather predatory smile, giving her a good once over with his eyes. I could sense his hunger as a very clear 'dinner is served' echoed inside my mind.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I had marched up to the teenager and grabbed a fist full of that pretty hair of hers. She immediately screamed and pulled against my grip as I dragged her behind the restrooms. Then I shoved her against the wall and kneed her in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. I caught her jaw with my right hand and stooped down to speak at her level.

"Does the word slut mean anything to you?" I seethed through my teeth before releasing my hold on her.

She held her stomach as she stumbled to regain her balance, glaring at me with painful hatred. "He came onto me!"

I delivered a right hook strong enough to knock her to the ground. Her nose broke on impact, causing some blood to splatter on the concrete as well as my knuckles. My eyes moved on their own and focused on the substance.

Thankfully, a loud "What the hell is going on here!?" Came from behind me, forcing me to forget the blood and turn around. A teenage boy, about 16 or 17 years old with a similar height and build as the girl I just hit. He had a punk look going for him, like 30 seconds to Mars. Heavy eyeliner with a casual shirt and skinny jeans.

David had stepped into the teenager's path, blocking him from reaching me or the girl. "What's it to you kid?"

I stared at his panicked expression as he realized we were dangerous. Either he knew we belonged to a gang or he just had sharp instincts. Without tapping into his thoughts, I could sense the kind of concern one feels for family and close friends. His similar features gave me a pretty good indication as to why he was interfering when the rest of the crowd kept their distance or kept on walking.

"Is she your sister?" I asked as I motioned my head towards the sobbing mess at my feet.

He nods and held up his hands in a placating motion. "Please don't hurt her."

"Little late for that" smirked David cruelly as he looked over his shoulder. He too, was transfixed on the blood, then looked to me in concern.

I knew what he was worried about. The need to feed was itching in the back of my head but due to feeding on David earlier, I was ok. But I really did want to kill this bitch for coming onto MY boyfriend. 'Too many witnesses.' Claimed his voice inside of my head, making my eyes widen with how clear and smooth that was. Like a balm to a burn, it calmed me down considerably.

With a cruel smirk of my own, I yanked her up by her hair and made her stand in front of me, holding her neck and squeezing slightly as I spoke. "I think she needs to learn a lesson in manners. What do you think babe?"

I shoved her towards David, making her trip and fall forward. He caught her by her throat, causing the teenager to choke as he lifted her onto her feet. Her brother rushed to help her but froze when David glared at him. I used this opportunity to dash behind him, flicking out my knife a held it against his throat in such a way that no one could see it was there, gripping his hair with my free hand so he couldn't move.

David grinned impishly at the now panicking brother as he spoke "I think… foolish young girls should get a harsh lesson in reality." He tilted her head to face her brother and slowly licked her bloodied, tearstained cheek, making a show to swallow whatever his tongue had lapped up. "Flaunting yourself like that, can get you into trouble. The kind you can't get out of."

It had the desired effect. The girl whimpered in fear and disgust while her brother growled and pushed against my grip, then stopped himself when he felt how sharp my knife was. "And you just end up hurting the ones you love." I added, feeling a rush from the fear we were instilling within these two. It practically radiated off of them! "It's quite tragic really." I mocked with a pouty face.

"OH-MY-GOD-PLEASE-LET-US-GO!" babbled the girl before bursting into tears, crying her damn heart out. Honestly, the sound was irritating me and I found myself wondering if she could still cry like that if I stitched her lips shut.

"I'm sorry! Ok? I'm sorry for whatever my sister did to piss you off! Please let us go!" begged the boy at my mercy.

David seemed to be thinking it over then tilted his head at me. "I don't know if they mean it."

I sighed and shook my head. "Neither do I. But I'm bored. Maybe we should just kill them and call it a night?"

They both screamed their protests, causing both of us to smile with triumph. David yelled "Shut up!" to make both of them stop then gave them an ultimatum. "Alright. You've got one last chance to convince us that you mean it."

They babbled "I swear!" and a few other things that sounded like gibberish so I asked "Promise you won't be such a slut anymore?"

"Yes! I promise! I swear!" screamed the girl as she pulled against David's grip, trying to look me in the eye.

"Cross your heart?" I asked her with a pout. To which she screamed "YES!" I clicked my tongue then let the boy go. "Ok. I believe them." And quickly returned my knife to where it belonged.

David released the girl and shoved her towards her brother. "Now get the hell out of here before we change our minds."

They both scrambled away like startled Impala, barging through the crowded boardwalk like their lives depended on it. All the while, David and I just looked to each other and started laughing. That was too much fun. David slung his arm over my shoulders and guided me towards the showers, since that's where I wanted to go next. It took us a while to stop the laughter and we were still grinning like idiots by the time we got there. Thankfully, a few of the showers were free, including one with a door, offering just that little bit of privacy I need.

I stepped inside and dropped my satchel onto the bench inside the cubical before flicking my town onto the door. David spoke from the other side of the door, peeking over the top with that sly look of his (these doors are not very tall and only offer some modesty.) "Want me to hold onto your clothes?"

I snickered and shook my head, turning my back to him as I unlaced and kicked off my boots. "Nah that's ok." And proceeded to strip and fold every article of clothing onto the bench, next to my soap supplies. I glanced over my shoulder to see that David had also turned his back and was guarding the entrance. Making sure that no one could see me.

'Aww. What a sweetie. And here I was expecting him to be a total perv.' I smiled as I pulled the handle, activating the showerhead. Cool, borderline cold water immediately soaked through my hair.

I bit my lip as I walked up to the door, holding the top as I rested my chin between my hands. "Hey David?" I called gently with amused yet sly look in my eyes.

"Hmm?" He turned to see me and frowned slightly at my expression.

My sly expression shifted into a seedy grin. "There's room enough for two."

He quirked an eyebrow as I quickly opened the door and yanked him inside, completely soaking him as he yelped in surprise. I stuck the tip of my tongue between my teeth, grinning my goofy grin at his mad expression… but he soon laughed and shook his head before peeling off his coat and the rest of his clothes, muttering "You'll pay for this."

"Oh I know." I snickered as I leaned my head back to allow the water to fall on my face, closing my eyes to enjoy the cooling effect that brings. There wasn't really much room to move, merely two steps between us so I wasn't surprised to feel his hands slink behind the small of my back, or to feel his chest pressing against my breasts. What did surprise me was when he lowered his hands to grab my ass.

I opened my eyes to see him smirking that wicked smirk of his. "Tell me Elizabeth… How do you feel about exhibitionism?"

"No. Bloody. Way!"

David's P.O.V.

I had absolutely no intention of having sex with her in public. She's waaaaaay too green for that kind of kinky shit. But, despite her protests I could scent her spike in arousal so I may get to pursue this at some time in the future. You never know. All in all, my mission to embarrass her for soaking my clothes once again, was a success. She still hasn't stopped blushing, despite meeting up with the boys again.

Now we were going through the painful process of picking out our new outfits. Seriously, I don't know how chicks do this all day. Its boring and annoying but… Elizabeth insisted that we needed to blend in with the modern crowd. She had a point of course but I still don't like it. She had steered us into a fashion boutique for men, I didn't care to know the name, merely focused my attention on the 'welcome' sign so that I could ensure our reflections would show up in the mirrors. They did. And it was weird to see my reflection again.

Everyone seemed to take a moment to observe their reflection before disappearing into the isles to pick out their new set of duds. I didn't really intend to take a close look at anything since all I had to do was remove my waist coat but, lo and behold, Elizabeth had dashed off and returned with a pair of black jeans and T-shirt. She also found a pair of navy blue jeans and a white shirt to go with it. I took the articles of clothing and gave her an odd look.

"I know you wear all black David but… you know just in case you wanna change things up a bit or go more casually than what you usually do." She shrugged and offered a small smile.

I examined the clothes again then handed her the white shirt and jeans. "I'll consider the all black but I'm not crazy about the white and blue."

"Ok." She smiled as she took the offending items and tossed them over her shoulder, causing them to land messily on a pile of assorted items. "No harm no foul. Now go try them on." She moved her hands in a shooing motion.

I quirked my eyebrow in amusement but soon directed my attention to Paul as he yelled "ow! No. No way I'm wearing these and I don't care if they're fashionable!"

Elizabeth and I now stared as Paul stumbled out of the change room. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a crimson anarchy tag and black jeans. But the jeans looked incredibly tight with little to no room on the groin. Paul was pouting slightly as he moved to sit on a nearby bench and immediately straightened with another "OW! Nope! Hell to the nope!" before stomping back into the changerooms.

A burst of laughter erupted from Elizabeth as she jogged towards the cubical and spoke through the door. "Who tried to tell you to wear skinny jeans?"

"The check out chick" Came Paul's muffled reply. "I asked her what was in style."

Elizabeth shook her head then tapped on the door sympathetically. "Trust me. Skinny jeans only work on skinny boys who don't know just how much damage they're doing to themselves when they wear those things."

"You're not wrong. Felt like my damn nuts were in a vice!"

Now Marko and Dwayne laughed from wherever they were in the store along with Elizabeth and myself. That had to hurt.

~A few hours later~

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

I had been playing tour guide ever since we left the barbershop. And it took me a full 30 minutes to explain what a WiFi was and how it worked. Internet blew their minds. But wireless internet was beyond Pluto for them.

Now the guys look like they came from this century. Paul ended up keeping the Anarchy T-shirt. It hung loosely around his neck, showing a little of his collarbone and his new leather necklace. He was still wearing his jacket and white leather pants but I knew he had a variety of denim, leather, blue, blacks and whites he can chose from if he felt that way inclined. The biggest change he made would have been his hair. He couldn't bear to cut it so it was treated to no longer be so puffed up and had been tied back into the rocker's topknot/bun. If he hated it, he could take it out. That was something I was adamant about for tonight. Nothing as definitive. They could always try something new when they were ready for it. I know its hard to change from a style you love.

Marko kept his jacket too but that was no surprise. He ditched the chaps and now wore probably the sickest skull T-shirt I'd ever seen. It was like a cross between skater punk and heavy metal. Very cool shirt. So cool I wanted one but they didn't have it in a woman's cut. Anyways, he still wore his jeans and boots but like Paul, he had more outfits in his bags. Most of them supported the skater punk look but his new additions were his accessories. He now wore a thick leather bracelet with a chrome skull and crossbones. It was also studded. His hair had been trimmed to lose the tails all together. It was now short at the sides and the back but some of his golden curls were kept long at the front, causing them to curl slightly into his eyes. He had it combed over slightly to the side so that it only covered his right eye.

Dwayne on the other hand, left his hair alone, just brushed it out so that it was dead straight. He probably changed his outfit the most. He wore a black leather jacket with a white poet's shirt. It was open, leaving his tanned pecks and traditional necklace exposed to the world. He also wore biker leather pants to match the jacket and he seemed perfectly content with that. At first I thought that was all he was going to buy, but he spotted a native American stall and purchased a LOT of clothing and accessories from there.

David barely changed his look. Merely removed the waistcoat and trimmed his hair. The tails were gone and his sides are short but he kept the spikes. His spares consisted with mostly replicas of what he was already wearing or the casual T-shirt and jeans. He did however, purchase a leather trench coat. Very heavy metal and looked so very awesome on him buuuut he likes his old look too much to change right now. Needless to say that all of his clothes are in black. That was non-negotiable. Not that I'm surprised.

"…And that is a HD T.V. It's High Definition, and like with just about everything now, its all digital." I pointed to the row of on display in one of those glass booths as we walked down the street.

"So you don't have to mess around with an antenna anymore?" Asked Marko as he stopped to take a closer look. He had a couple of bags hooked over his shoulder with he free hand in his pocket, looking quite casual as the rest of us kept walking while looking.

"Nope." I chimed, carrying a few bags of my own shopping. Mind you not all of them were clothes. I had some baby stuff in here too. You know, diapers, milk bottles, that sorta thing.

"Swank." He grinned as he jogged to catch up with the group.

"So… do they have Virtual Reality yet? Like they have in all those sci-fi shows?" Asked Paul just as Marko bumped into his side, earning a kick from him.

"Well… yes and no. They have VR headsets for videogames and simulators for study or whatnot but it's nothing like on Start Trek… like walking into a holo deck room or something." I looked to my left to see David eyeing something off to his side. Whatever caught his attention, he didn't think much of it and paid attention to the conversation again.

"Speaking of Star Trek! Did they do anything after Star Trek four, The Voyage Home?" Asked Marko as he dashed to squeeze himself between Paul and I, more or less kicking Paul out of his way. He was simply too hyper to be subtle.

I laughed and bumped into David to make room, causing him to side step and he rolled his eyes. Obviously not a Treky fan. "Oh man. Marko they have done a total of 10 movies following the original crew of the Enterprise, then changed over to the Next Generation in the 7th movie of the series. They also made… hmm… I think it was 3 more spin off series called Next Generation, Enterprise and Voyager. I think… And I'm pretty sure they have made a remake now."

Marko stopped in his tracks, lagging behind us in shock as everyone laughed. He ran to catch up with us with a wild look in his eyes and began to speak at the speed of light. "3 new series and 6 more movies plus a remake! Who are the new crews!? Are the Klingons still the bad guys!? What happened to the old crew!? What about-?"

"Marko. If you think we're going to sit through a marathon so you can catch up on your nerd Trek obsession I will personally string you up by your balls and use you as my punching bag. Got it?" Dead panned David, looking 100% serious about his threat.

Marko pouted and whined "awwww c'mon man! I gotta catch up! I mean, we had to watch Night of the Living Dead…"

"That was one movie, and it was without paper-machete FX." He dismissed and smirked rather cruelly.

Marko glared and pointed his free hand at David accusingly "That's not fair! Night of the Living dead was black and white and you can't tell what the hell they used for their FX… and you can't compare horror with science fiction! That's like comparing a rock with a cloud!"

David snickered at just how riled up Marko was as I was doing my best not to bark out a laugh. "Doesn't change the fact that a zombie flick from the 60's looked more realistic thank a space fantasy from the same time period."

"Star Trek season one started 2 years before Night of the Living Dead! And it was a T.V show! It had less budget and-"

"You can see Kurk almost fall through the damn wall when he leaned against it! The paper designed shook when he touched! You could see it was paper for fuck's sake!" Laughed David, causing Marko to drop his bags and pounce on him.

"I'm gonna kick your ass Jerkoff!" Yelled Marko as David dropped his bags to catch him, causing both of them to tumble to the ground,

'Damn… And Marko called me nuts for stealing David's keys.' I mused to myself as I took a step back to avoid being dragged into this. Oddly enough, Paul and Dwayne were right next to me before I could blink.

"Not if I kick yours first Dickweed!" Laughed David as he kicked Marko off of him and bounced back onto his feet.

The rest of us didn't really help with the situation. We were cat calling and egging them on, laughing our arses off at just how ridiculous this fight was. Plus, you could tell that this was not 100% serious, it was only 80% serious. I never would have guessed Marko was a Treky but then again, he does like comic books. I guess he likes out-there stories. Neat. And of course David is a horror fan. Which reminded me, I'd better update him on all the zombie movies he'd missed out on and find out if anyone was into the slasher flicks. I had a sneaky feeling that this would be common ground for all of us. Oh who am I kidding. I cheated. I know the boys love the slasher kings. Yet they all had their different favourites. Me? I'm more of a Michael Myers fan.

Paul slung his arm over my shoulder and shoo his head "You know. For a street kid, you know a LOT about movies."

I shrugged and gave him a sly look. "I have my sources" then flashed a shifty grin. He laughed again then tapped his nose, then kept his eyes on the fight.

This time, I turned to Dwayne and nudged him with my elbow. "So… what's the story with our living conditions?"

"Shouldn't you ask David?" He asked simply.

"He's unavailable at the moment, please hang up and try again." Imitated Paul in that classic yet annoying operator voice, letting go of my shoulder in favour of miming a telephone.

I pointed my thumb at Paul while still looking at Dwayne. "What he said."

He nods and paused for a moment before answering "There are three options available to us but we haven't decided on which one to go for yet."

Paul took over for Dwayne and held up his fingers in front of my nose as he listed the options. "One: We renovate the cave. Two: We move out. Or three: Both."

I pushed his hand out of my face and dead panned at him. "How the hell can you do both?"

"Depends on what the future holds." Answered David as he walked over to us, brushing off his coat.

I looked behind him and couldn't see Marko anywhere before returning my attention to his smug, victorious smile. "Uh…. Where's Marko?"

"Oh… around." He shrugged as he scooped up his bags.

Suddenly I'm grabbed by a pair of hands and half lifted, half shaken up as a hyper voice yelled into my ears "Awe how cute! You were worried about me!"

"AHHH! FUCK MARKO!" I screamed as I dropped my bags, then turned to punch him. He saw the move coming and managed to lean back far enough to dodge it before running away from me. I gave chase, vaulting over a bench that was in my way and was hot on his heels. "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT! THAT'S THE LAST TIME YOU SCARE ME!"

Paul yelled out "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE MAN!" Causing Marko to half yell and half laugh as he sprinted away. Even at this distance, I could hear everyone laughing.

~Eight Months and a few weeks Later~

"Now connect the green wire to the red wire…" Instructed Marko as he leaned against the wall in the what is now our generator room.

I guess it would technically be a basement since it was underground and had a water heater, the main hub for all the plumbing and now a power generator that Marko and Paul were working on. He held and instruction manual close to his face as he turned the next page over, temporarily looking ahead before going back to the page he was on before. Paul, was squatting behind the generator with a toolbox right next to his left foot. He had a screw driver in his mouth as his hands worked the wiring inside the open panel. He hummed when he had completed the step so that Marko could give him the next one.

"Weld the copper wire to the yellow…. And that should do it." He offered as he stepped away to watch Paul Closely.

Paul nods as he fished through his tools for what he needed as I walked into the room. I took a moment to admire the boys work and their impressive ingenuity. They all had their particular gifts and talents that had been put to good use with the renovations. Their undead strength made quick work of removing all the collapsed debris, smoothing off the walls to make a marble like surface out of the rock, reinforced the roof with wooden beams, then plastered them over so that you couldn't see they were there. They even installed a new door for this room, so that twins couldn't wonder in here and accidently hurt themselves.

It turns out that Dwayne knew an awful lot about carpentry and building an infrastructure out of wood. David knew everything there was to know about plumbing and plastering. Paul and Marko knew everything there was to know about electronics and it didn't take them long to catch up with our modern gizmo's. As it turned out, David and Dwayne had to build their own homes 'back in the day' so this was nothing new to them. Paul, had worked in a radio shack before he was turned and Marko had a natural talent to take things apart, then put them back together again to see how they worked. All of them were good with bike mechanics. They could even get a busted car into working order too.

I shook my wondering mind to pay attention to what was before me again and slowly walked over to Marko, handing him a beer. "Thanks Liz" he smiled as he popped open the cap, then gave me a stern look. 'Shouldn't you be resting in bed or something?"

I had another beer in my right hand so I used my left to wave it dismissively. "I'm not made of glass Marko. I have energy so I'm using it. How's the 'Gerry coming along?"

Just then there was a spark of electricity where Paul had his hands, earning a yelp from him as generator sputtered to life the lights flickered on. Marko and I had flinched with the spark but quickly rushed over to Paul as he nursed his hand. "Shit Paul are you ok?" I asked as Marko knelt beside him.

"I'm good!" He beamed as he climbed to his feet, shaking his hand before closing the hatch for the control panel. "Alright, we'll just have the change the battery or use fuel if we can't get a replacement right away."

Marko started laughing and casually pointed at Paul's face. "Dig your new hair doo man."

"Huh?" Paul raised his hands to check his bun and found strands sticking up everywhere from the electric shock. He grinned as he took his hair out and shook his head like a feral dog, making it look exactly as it did before his makeover ages ago. "Haha! See! The stars are aligned! I'm meant to look like this!"

Marko and I laughed as I handed him the beer. "It certainly suits you. Maybe just wear the bun in public but let your hair down at home?"

"Sounds good to me" he popped open the cap and took a swig. "Should you be out of bed?"

"Oh. My. God. You guys are as bad as David." I huffed as I turned around and headed out the door. Well, it was more of a waddle than a walk since my belly was very large. Larger than a regular pregnant woman thanks to carrying twins. And by CRIKEY did my back hurt these days. "Nice work with the generator guys!"

"Thanks Liz!" came their combined reply as I heard tools being tossed about, Hopefully being put away.

Slowly, I made my way down what was once the busted corridor. The newly installed lights along the walls made navigation easy in the underground labyrinth. The doors that were broken through with rock and debris now housed new bedrooms, fully furnished and styled for their use. Many were actually being used to store clothes or personal belongings for the boys, as well as a bed for some fun times. Many ladies had lost their lives in these rooms but there was never a corps or a single drop of blood to be found. Further down was the bathroom, now equipped with a working bath, dunny, sink and a shower. But that's not my current destination. Despite needing to pee like nobody's business.

Instead, I slowly walked past David's and my room to the next room down. This door was currently ajar but I could hear furniture being moved around in here. With a smile, I pushed it open and stepped into the room. There was David dressed only in black slack pants, shifting a small dressing table to be centralised between the two cribs. One had been painted blue, the other purple because we were not having pink in this house. No way in hell. The nursery had been furnished to suit children with plenty of teddy bears, plushies, blocks, bookshelf with baby books, rocking chair for breast feeding and a cupboard filled with cloth and disposable nappies. Among other baby supplies.

On the rocking chair were two baby mobiles Dwayne had made for us. They were traditional dream catchers… and they were beautiful. They looked old, which we totally dig and the feathers he used actually changed colour if the light hit them just right, shimmering with turquoise and a hint of sunset orange. Along the walls were sea shells and starfish pinned to a gigantic mosaic Marko had painted onto the walls. Now that guy had some serious talent with paint. It depicted an underwater scene with fish, turtles, and other placid sea creatures. A very picturesque and relaxing environment.

I couldn't help but lean against the doorway and admire his physique as he performed manual labour because this is when his hidden strength became visible. With his muscles pulling taught I could see his underlaying chiselled form… and it was quite a pleasing sight to me. Everything about him is just so shifty. He stopped messing with the dresser and stooped to place a small lamp in the middle of the surface. It was a tiny night light designed to look like a ship trapped in the bottle. Where they found that I had no clue but I loved it. It was so cute.

He took a step back to make sure everything looked right, then glanced over his shoulder to see me standing there. David smiled as he turned around sauntered over to me. "Enjoy the show?"

"Oh very much so." I winked as he leaned to kiss me gently on the lips, then caressed my belly as he knelt onto the ground.

"And how are the twins?" He asked as he kissed my belly through my shirt… well it's not my shirt. I 'borrowed' one of his black T-shirts. I'm basically using it as a night gown, no bra, just underwear. My boobs were so swollen and sensitive that the underwire from the bra just made it too uncomfortable for me to tolerate it. My hormones prevented me from ignoring it. I get upset very easily at these days.

I snickered as I ran my fingers through his hair, cupping his cheek as he looked up and smiled again. "Oh they're fine. They're quite happy dancing on my bladder at the moment."

He snickered and scowled at my stomach, still holding it gently as he spoke with a mock stern voice. "Cheeky little shits. Quit giving your mother a hard time."

Right on que, one of them decided to kick, making me wince "Ow!"

"Hey!" He tisked them with his finger. "Don't make me come in there!"

I grinned and could not keep the laughter out of my voice. "Too late, you already did."

This made us both laugh as he climbed to his feet and guided me to sit on the rocking chair, moving the mobiles out of the way first. "So. Have you chosen the names yet?" He was still grinning from that joke as he floated into the air, hanging one of the dreamcatchers above the blue crib as he spoke.

"Haven't quite decided yet." I sighed as I watched him work. Wishing I could do something other than lounging around.

"I still like Harley and David Jr." He said almost absently as he drifted towards the purple crib to hang up the other dreamcatcher.

I shook my head and folded my arms. "We are not naming our kids 'Harley Davidson'."

He snickered again and almost dropped the dreamcatcher before finally securing it to the roof. "Why not?"

"Because they have to live with that. Plus, I wanna avoid the whole 'growing up in your shadow' thing. It's going to be hard enough to raise them without some misplaced resentment as it is." I sighed as I struggled to push myself out of the chair.

"Hmm. You have a point. As usual." He drifted back onto the ground and helped me to stand properly before scanning the room one last time. "Well… it looks finished to me."

I smiled as I glanced around the room with him. "It's perfect. You guys really outdid yourselves. I am officially impressed with all the work you guys have managed to do."

He scoffed in amusement as he lead me out of the room, guiding me towards the lobby which is now, officially, a day room. "Took us long enough to do it."

"Hey… you guys converted a cave into an underground domicile, equipped with all the creature comforts a person could ever need. That's quite the accomplishment." I pouted at him as we entered the dayroom, as if to make my point.

The entire lobby looked completely different now. The elevator was gone. The walls had been painted over, erasing all evidence of graffiti. In its place would be posters of current rock and metal bands like Disturbed and Lordi. Nickleback had made their way in here along with a few others. We hadn't really had much time to go over music just yet. New chairs, couches and beanbags were arranged around the 'library' where Dwayne had taken the time to raid a book store to his heart's content. Marko's cove had become our T.V area. The screen was mounted to the wall with this kick ass speaker underneath it. You could play videogames, watch BluRay or use it as a giant computer screen if you wanted to. We didn't have internet yet, it was on our list of things to do if we felt like we needed it.

Over in the far corner where the bed used to be, was now a kitchen of sorts. We had a small stove, fridge and a sink. Just in case the twins needed human food or to store mother's milk in advance if I had to do something and couldn't be here in person. The pit of death had been converted into a nest of blankets and pillows and all of the oil drums had been stored underground. Now that we had electricity, we only needed them if we ran out of power. Next to the sound system we kept from the Goths was my guitar and the amplifier I used to practice with. Close by were all the surf and skateboards that were scattered about the place. The old drapes had been replaced with new ones and all of the mobiles remained exactly where they were. The colour of the walls remained grey unless they had a mosaic on it of course. The tools and bike parts had been moved to an outdoor workshop that now housed their bikes. All it was, was more or less a patio built next to the cave entrance with work tables along the sides, but they made it work. This place… was now a very comfortable home.

"You're right." Said David, snapping me out of my thoughts as I looked to him curiously. He slipped his hand around the small of my back before continuing. "We did do a good job."

"It was a team effort." I nod with a smile then leaned into his side.

He paused for a moment, looking deadly serious about something as he spoke. "Have… you thought more about what I told you?"

I had to use my abilities to figure out what he was on about, causing my eyes to widen with surprise. "I thought we covered this already. I am not, will I ever be interested in running this crew. You are the head vampire and thus, the leader of this coven."

He held his gaze, frowning slightly as he did. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I can't even keep myself out of trouble. Would probably lead us right into a viper's nest of doom!" I held my hands up to exaggerate the horror and drama, making my voice match my movements as I did.

He finally smirked then caught my hands so I'd stop being a dick. "I just wanted to be sure."

"I know." I leaned on my toes to kiss his cheek, then gave him a hug. Hugs were hard with this belly of mine so it was more of a side hug than a proper one.

~Later that night~

I couldn't sleep.

I'd retired early simply because my back was giving me a lot of grief. My sleep pattern was pretty close to everyone else's at this point but I was still susceptible to the cold. The Winter's here are much colder than back in Freemantle, I mean, the average was 50F… that was about 10C. It rarely got to 10C at night! Let alone during the bloody day! So ya. I was often under a bundle of blankets. Thankfully the weather was warming up a little now that we were moving into Spring. I still can't get my head around the difference in seasons between the northern and southern hemisphere's. Crazy man. At least now I had a very comfortable King-Sized bed to sink into. That helped with both insulation and the pain.

Suddenly I felt a shock run through my system and something moved from inside me. Then I felt an awful lot of moisture seeping into the mattress and coating my thighs. My eyes widened and my hands shook as I threw the blanket off of me to see water everywhere. I… I couldn't breathe. My heart pounded a mile a minute as I struggled to sit up, hyperventilating as my anxiety hit the roof.

'Oh God… not now…' I thought to myself as I held my stomach, sensing my babies are on their way no matter what I had to say on the matter.

"D-DAVID!" I yelled both aloud and telepathically, then groaned as I felt my first contraction.

David suddenly burst through the door with a look of pure concern as he dashed inside. "What is it!? What's wrong!?" He asked as he stared at the mess on the bed.

"M-my water broke…" I was not ashamed to admit I was terrified. Pregnancies can be deadly.

He rushed to my side and grabbed my hand in both of his, brushing my hair out of my face as he spoke. "You'll be ok. Just breathe alright? Stay calm and breathe."

I did my best to follow his instructions, trying to slow my breathing but not doing a very good job at calming down. Just then, then others rushed in and kinda froze in the doorway. Dwayne blinked then asked me "Hospital or home?"

"Home!" I yelled out as another contraction hit me, causing me to squeeze David's hand and smacked the pillow next to me.

"Water birth or bed?" He asked, being surprising calm about everything.

"Can't move…. Bed." I groaned as David helped me to lay down, now wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Ok." Dwayne turned to Marko and Paul as he peeled off his leather jacket. "You two, get a bowl of warm water, towels and the medical bag David swiped from the hospital."

They ran off to do as they were instructed as Dwayne walked over to the bed, rolling up his sleeves as he spoke. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" He asked David cautiously.

David nods, never taking his eyes off me. "I trust you Dwayne. I wouldn't know what to do… I can't… think clearly right now."

"I understand." Dwayne nods then looked to me. "Are you comfortable with me delivering the baby Liz?"

"For the hundredth time! You've done this before! This makes you qualified! Modesty is the least of my worries right now!" I didn't mean to yell but this was a stupid question. We had already agreed that if I chose to stay home, Dwayne was helping with the birthing.

Without further hesitation, Dwayne lifted my shirt just enough to expose me then removed my saturated underwear. He then bent my legs and knelt on the bed. "When I tell you to. Push with everything you got. You'll be ok little sista', but this will hurt like hell."

"Got it" I nod as I grabbed a hold of David's hand with both of mine and buried my face into the pillow. I didn't want them to see I was crying.

David squeezed my hands as hard as I was squeezing his, whispering words of encouragement to me before looking at Dwayne. "Should the contractions be this frequent so soon? Is this normal?"

Dwayne shook his head no. "This is not a normal pregnancy. Therefore, this will not be a normal birthing. Besides, a short labour is preferable to a long one."

Just then, Paul and Marko rushed in with the supplies they had been asked to retrieve and were quickly shooed outside. They left, only to sneak back in and stayed in the background. They would not miss this. No way.

It took two hours of pure agony before I had permission to push. I yelled with every push, crushing David's hands as the only source of comfort I could take. I could feel my madness trying to dominate my mind because of the pain but there was no way in hell I was going to put my babies in danger because of my fucked-up head. David was my saving grace. He couldn't help with the birthing but he could totally help with my mind. He maintained a link between us, soothing me and keeping the darkness at bay. He reinforced whenever Dwayne told me to push and reminded me to keep breathing. I had held my breath more than once.

Finally, Dwayne yelled "I see a head! Push Liz! Push as hard as you can!"

I screamed as I put all I had into that very push, feeling myself stretch and tear until finally something gave. As soon as the cold air hit the baby's face it started to cry, giving me a sense of relief to know it was alive. Dwayne had caught the baby and used the medical bag to pinch and sever the umbilical cord before motioning for Paul to clean it with the towel. The mixture of shock an awe never left his face as he did his best to clean the baby, then wrapped it in a clean towel to carefully show it to David and I.

"It's a boy…" He half laughed. Kneeling next to David so that we could see.

"William…." I panted, looking to David before staring at my son. "William Tobias Sutherland."

"William…" David repeated in shock, staring at his son like he had never seen a baby before and didn't dare to hold him. His grip never left my hands.

"Billy the kid". Cooed Marko, standing behind Paul to look at the screaming baby. "He's got a pair of lungs on him huh?" He laughed.

"Get used to it." Reminded Dwayne as he laid a fresh towel on the bed to soak up as much blood as he could.

The reprieve was short lived as the other one wanted to come out too. Five minutes and a painful scream later, a healthy baby girl came out, announcing her arrival with a higher pitched wail. Once cleaned and shown to us by Marko, I whispered "Bethany…" simply too exhausted to say anything else.

"Bethany Rose Sutherland." Finished David for me, kissing my forehead before finally letting go of my hands to let me rest. "You did it Elizabeth."

I smiled slightly, despite feeling Dwayne do something downstairs to finish the process… probably pulling out the sack before cleaning me up as best he could. Marko moved to hand David Bethany but he leaned back and shook his head no. "I-I don't think I should…" He protested.

"It's your daughter man. Just be gentle…" Marko didn't wait for David, knowing he'd refuse again and carefully placed her in her father's arms. "It's official. You're a dad now."

David froze as soon as he had her and she stopped crying. Just stared at him with curios grey eyes. I watched as his face melted with uneasy adoration, smiling slightly at his little girl. "Hey there…" He whispered, at a complete loss for words.

Paul, slowly lowered my son into my arms, which caused him to stop crying too. I smiled and kissed the tip of his nose and chucked quietly. "Hey little man… Nice to finally meet you…"

Billy fussed a little then made a tiny sound. It was a cross between a coo and a squeak, earning a big exhausted smile from the both of us. Our babies are beautiful.

The End.


End file.
